.DOL>>;o^>j  «l^ 


COMMON  SEN  SIS 


DIDACTICS 


FOR    COMMON  SCHOOL    TEACHERS 


By 

HENRY  SABIN,  LL.D. 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  for  the  State  of  Iowa  i888-g2 

and  i8g4-g8.     Chairman  of  Committee  of  Twelve 

on  Rural  Schools,  N.  E.  A.  i8gj 


RAND,    McNALLY   &  COMPANY 

Chicago  Neiu  York  London 


•   •   '«  •     « 


Copyright^  igoj 
By  Henry  Sabin 

cDUCATJON  i3EW, 


THE  PREFACE 

PURPOSES. — This  book  is  addressed  to  that  large 
body  of  teachers  who  are  at  work  in  the  common 
schools  of  the  land.  It  is  designed  to  be  helpful  to 
those  who  have  had  little  or  no  professional  training 
and  whose  outfit  consists  mainly  in  their  native  good 
sense,  and  in  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  common 
branches.  Whatever  there  may  be  of  value  in  the 
volume  is  drawn  very  largely  from  an  experience  of 
over  fifty  years  in  school  work.  While  acting  as  super- 
visor of  schools,  and  at  institutes  and  educational  meet- 
ings, it  has  been  my  custom  to  note  down  those  points 
of  practical  importance  in  which  the  body  of  teachers 
seemed  to  need  instruction.  From  these  no^es  I  have 
prepared  a  volume  for  those  who  are  disposed  to  inves- 
tigate school  affairs  from  a  common  sense  standpoint. 
Much  genuine  pleasure  has  been  derived  from  the  writ- 
ing of  this  volume,  and  it  is  sent  forth  in  the  hope  that 
it  may  prove  an  aid  and  encouragement  to  those 
who  desire  to  enter  more  fully  into  the  true  spirit  of 
teaching,  without  which  all  knowledge  is  formal  and 
valueless  so  far  as  the  school  is  concerned.  There  are 
countless  numbers  of  teachers  who  regard  only  the 
subject  matter  contained  in  the  books,  and  neglect  "to 
teach  the  child,"  which  is  a  far  more  worthy  object. 

Not  long  since  the  statement  was  made  by  a  promi- 
nent superintendent,  and  greeted  with  applause,  that 
he  measured  the  worth  of  a  teacher  by  the  number  of 
pupils  in  her  room  who  could  pass  a  successful  exam- 

54^03 


'*;''.')''    '  »'«  '   :  Preface 

ination  for  promotion.  This  book  has  been  written, 
not  only  to  combat,  as  far  as  possible,  such  ideas  as 
this,  but  to  inculcate  and  enforce  the  opposite,  which 
Edward  Thring  formulates  in  these  words:  "Education 
means  training  for  life.  Lives,  not  lessons,  are  dealt 
with;  with  its  corollary,  that  no  system  which  battens 
on  books  is  true." 

I  have  no  desire  to  appear  as  a  critic.  The  oft- 
repeated  story  of  incompetent  teachers  and  wretched 
schools,  dinned  into  the  ears  of  young  teachers,  has  a 
most  disheartening  effect.  It  kills  their  ambition, 
dwarfs  their  enthusiasm,  and  sends  them  to  their 
schools  with  the  feeling  that  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten 
failure  is  inevitable.  On  the  contrary,  I  would  take 
down  the  shutters,  and  throw  open  the  schoolroom 
doors,  that  God's  pure  air,  the  warm  sunshine,  the 
songs  of  birds,  and  the  smell  of  flowers  may  come  in 
and  fill  every  crevice  and  corner  of  the  room,  so  that 
the  humblest  teacher  may  see  and  feel  what  a  noble. 
Godlike  thing  it  is  to  strive  honestly  and  conscien- 
tiously to  do  one's  duty. 

Arrangement  of  Subjects. — It  is  proper  here  to  call 
attention  to  the  arrangement  chosen  for  the  subject- 
matter  in  the  different  chapters.  This  volume  is 
designed  as  a  counselor,  which  teachers  can  keep  on 
their  desks,  and  to  which  they  can  refer  at  odd 
moments,  as  they  have  time  or  as  occasion  suggests. 
While  there  is  a  common  vein  of  thought  and  purpose 
easily  traced,  running  through  the  entire  book,  each 
chapter  has  a  character  of  its  own;  it  stands  out  by 
itself,  and  is  intended  to  meet  an  individual  purpose. 
Thus,  any  teacher  can  select  the  chapter  which  seems 
to  meet  personal  or  present  necessities,  and  defer  read- 
ing the  others  until  a  more  opportune  time. 


Preface  5 

Arrangement  of  Chapters. — In  arranging  the  chap- 
ters the  reader  will  find  that  the  first  four  have  refer- 
ence to  the  nature  of  teaching  and  the  preparation  of 
the  teacher.  This  is  followed  by  two  chapters  having 
special  reference  to  the  child  and  things  which  will  be 
most  useful  to  children.  Moral  instruction,  as  of 
greatest  importance,  follows  next,  with  its  adjunct, 
habits.  School  government  naturally  follows  this. 
The  health  of  the  school  and  the  cultivation  of  taste 
are  next.  Then  the  recitation  follows,  not  because  it 
is  of  minor  importance,  but  because  other  things  which 
have  been  mentioned  are  necessary  in  order  that  the 
recitation  may  be  of  most  use.  Oral  instruction,  as 
closely  allied,  follows  recitation.  The  other  subjects, 
memory,  imagination,  and  so  on,  come  in  their  natural 
order.  Special  attention,  however,  is  called  to  the  last 
chapter,  regarding  books  and  their  uses. 

Henry  Sabin. 

Des  Moines^  Iowa,  June,  ^QOJ- 


THE  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 


/. 

//. 

///. 

JV. 

V. 

VL 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XL 

XII. 

XIII 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XV I L 


PAGE 

Pf-eface 3 

Suggestions  to  the  Reade?' 7 

The  Nature  and  Character  of  Teaching       ...  9 

The  Teacher 25 

Preparation  for  Teaching 39 

Things  Essential  to  the  Teacher 57 

The  Child 77 

Knowledge  Most  Useful  to  the  Children     ...  97 

Morals 124 

Habits 145 

School  Government 165 

The  Hygiene  OF  THE  School 185 

The  Cultivation  of  Taste 208 

The  Recitation 224 

Oral  Instruction 245 

Memory 259 

Imagination,  Attention,  Interest 274 

The  Old  vs.  the  New 2S9 

Books  and  Their  Uses 309 

Index  of  Titles  and  Subdivisions  Treated  of  in 

Each  Chapter 333 

Index  of  Authors  Quoted 338 

Index  of  Subjects     .     , 340 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  THE  READER 

I 

READ  this  book  with  pencil  in  hand.  If  you  find 
anything  which  strikes  you  as  wrong,  or  in 
which  you  think  the  author  is  mistaken,  read  the  para- 
graph or  page  the  second  time  more  carefully  than  the 
first,  and  give  the  subject  most  earnest  thought. 
Debate  the  matter  with  yourself,  and  draw  your  con- 
clusions from  your  own  experience.  Above  all  things 
cultivate  the  power  of  independent  thought. 

II 

PAY  attention  to  the  questions  at  the  end  of  each 
chapter.  Some  of  them  will  enable  you  to  exam- 
ine yourself  as  to  the  way  in  which  you  have  read  the 
text.  Others  are  intended  as  suggestions  and  it  will 
require  some  thought,  and  perhaps  some  research,  to 
answer  them  in  a  manner  satisfactory  to  yourself. 

Ill 

THE  quotations  at  the  close  of  each  subject  will  be 
found  very  helpful  if  rightly  read.  They  have 
been  carefully  selected  from  the  highest  educational 
authorities.  From  them  the  reader  who  has  not  ready 
access  to  a  pedagogical  library  may  learn  something 
of  the  thought  and  style  of  men  and  women  who  have 
made  themselves  illustrious  as  writers  and  thinkers  in 
their  chosen  fields. 

IV 

THE  reader  will  notice  that  occasionally  reference 
is  made  in  the  text  to  a  preceding  page.  By 
turning  back  it  will  be  found  that  the  same  subject  is 
there  treated  from  a  somewhat  different  standpoint. 

7 


COMMON    SENSE    DIDACTICS 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  NATURE  AND  CHARACTER  OF 
TEACHING 

The  Open  Door 

None  but  true  ladies  and  gentlemen  should  be  employed  as 
teachers. 

—John  A.  Vincent. 

What  a  man  purposes  to  do,  that  he  should  learn  before  the 
doing  is  attempted. 

—Socrates. 

Of  the  two  I  prefer  activity  of  mind  and  interest  in  the  work 
rather  than  high  scholarship. 

—  Thomas  Arnold. 

Teaching  is  telling;  and  he  who  can  so  tell  the  common  things 
of  life  as  to  excite  the  child's  curiosity  and  interest,  and  arouse 
him  to  self-activity  of  mind  is  an  expert  teacher. 

—Selected. 

IF  WE  inquire  what  is  the  secret  of  success  in  teach- 
ing, we  shall  find  that  it  lies  almost  wholly  in  the 
spirit  of  the  teacher.     Knowledge  of  subject  matter, 
skill   in  the  use  of  methods,  an  acquaint- 
ance  with  the  latest  phases  of  educational  ^' 

thought,  although  very  desirable,  are  not  the  only  essen- 
tial things.  It  is  true  that  they  are  sometimes  so 
regarded  and  are  so  emphasized  by  those  who  aspire  to 
be  teachers  of  teachers.  But  "teaching  is  telling."  One 
man  will  tell  a  story,  or  preach  a  sermon,  and  nobody 
who  hears  will  grasp  his  points  or  understand  his  con- 
clusions; another  will  tell  the  same  story,  or  preach  a 
sermon  from  the  same  text,  so  that  his  listeners  will 


10  Common   Sense  Didactics 

eagerly  take  in  every  word  and  carry  lasting  impres- 
sions away  with  them.  The  reason  is  that  the  one  tells 
his  story  as  though  he  had  no  part  in  it;  the  other  as 
though  he  himself  were  the  hero:  the  one  preaches  his 
sermon  as  a  matter  of  duty  and  not  of  heart;  the  other 
as  though  he  himself  were  responsible  for  the  salvation 
of  every  soul  in  the  congregation. 

Between  those  who  teach  with  the  heart  and  the 
spirit,  and  those  who  teach  as  a  matter  of  duty  only, 
there  is  all  the  difference  that  there  is  between  the 
quick  and  the  dead.  "It  is  the  letter  which  killeth;  it 
is  the  spirit  which  maketh  alive."  A  certain  teacher 
was  once  criticized  as  being  "educated  to  death."  He 
knew  enough,  and  more  than  enough,  but  failed  as  a 
teacher  in  the  deadness  of  his  instructions,  in  his 
inability  to  put  himself  in  close  contact  with  his  class, 
and  in  his  failure  to  arouse  interest  or  awaken  enthu- 
siasm. 

It  is  very  desirable  that  they  who  aspire  to  be  teach- 
ers in  our  schools  should  be  well  grounded  in  those 
^.    .  definitions  and  principles  which  are  at  the 

tion  of  foundation  of  successful  work  in  the  school- 

teryns.  room.     The  blind  should  not  be  allowed  to 

lead  the  blind  in  matters  of  such  great  consequence  as 
the  education  of  the  child. 

Observe,  in  the  first  place,  the  clear  distinction 
between  teaching  and  learning.  I  may  be  able  to 
rp  ..  teach  another  something  which  he  desires  to 
7/5.  learn-  know,  but  the  act  of  learning  is  his  own 
^'^S-  individual  action  which  no  other  person  can 

appropriate  Here  is  involved  the  true  relation  of  the 
teacher  to  the  pupil  The  teacher  cannot  create,  but 
he  can  awaken  and  stimulate  the  self-activities  of  the 
child's  mind.     What  the  child  does  for  himself  to-day 


TJie  Nature  a?id  Character  of  Teaching  ii 

gives   him   power  to  do  more  for  himself  to-morrow. 
Let  us  study  this  art  of  teaching  for  a  moment. 

True  teaching  is  a  double  process,  involving  at  once 
the  mind  of  the  teacher  and  the  mind  of  the  taught. 

Anything  less   than    this    is    not   teaching, 
rp,  ,    ,  ,.  ..  .•        V         Freedom. 

ihere  must  be  an  active  cooperation  be- 
tween the  will  of  the  master  and  that  of  the  disciple. 
This  cooperation  must  be  voluntary,  not  forced;  it  can 
be  induced  only  where  there  is  absolute  freedom  on  the 
part  of  all  concerned  in  the  operation.  The  teacher  must 
be  free  to  teach  in  accordance  with  his  own  ideals, 
and  the  pupil  must  be  in  that  receptive  state  which  is 
characterized  by  the  absence  of  coercion  or  restraint. 

I  do  not  disregard  the  place  of  authority  in  the 
schoolroom,  but  the  nearer  the  exercise  of  teaching 
approaches  a  high  standard  of  excellence  the  less  need 
is  there  for  any  compulsion  on  the  part  of  the  teacher. 
It  is  only  when  this  freedom  prevails  that  teaching 
becomes  a  noble  profession.  Otherwise  it  is  a  trade, 
and  a  sorry  one  at  that.  Real  teaching  is  not  so  much 
an  informing  as  an  awakening  process.  It  is  charac- 
terized by  life  and  growth  on  the  part  of  both  the 
instructor  and  the  school.  Only  that  which  is  strong 
on  the  spiritual  side  can  be  made  effective  for  the 
highest  good  of  the  pupil. 

Ruskin  says:  "That  which  is  born  of  evil  begets 
evil;  that  which  is  born  of  valor  and  honor  begets 
valor  and  honor."     Mechanical    teaching, 

the  mere  listenine^  to  recitations,  the  rigid   Mechanical 

.  f.  teaching. 

adherence  to  rules  and  formulas,  so  preva- 
lent in  the  schools,  cannot  produce  or  maintain  life. 
Teaching  which   is  saturated  with  life-giving  energy 
reproduces  its  own  spirit  in  the  learner,  and  multiplies 
itself  in  many  hearts. 


12  Common   Sense  Didactics 

David  P.  Page  was  not  renowned  for  his  learning; 
he  had  no  diploma  and  no  degree.  Yet  his  book,  The 
Theory  and  Prcutice  of  Teaching,  hsiS  rtdich^d  the  hearts 
of  more  teachers  than  any  other  book  ever  written 
from  an  educational  standpoint.  Thomas  Arnold  was 
not  superior  to  many  others  as  a  classroom  instructor. 
It  was  not  until  after  his  death  that  his  pupils  discov- 
ered how  indissoluble  were  the  bands  which  bound 
them  to  him  through  the  personal  influence  that  he 
exerted  over  them.  Mary  Lyon,  the  founder  of  the 
school  at  Mt.  Holyoke,  is  another  example. 

There  have  been  hundreds  of  such,  unknown  to 
fame,  who  have  swayed  the  hearts  of  pupils  and  par- 
ents as  the  heads  of  ripened  grain  bend  to  the  passing 
breeze.  Recall  the  teachers  who  have  most  influenced 
your  life,  whose  memory  remains  as  a  coal  of  living  fire 
in  your  heart,  and  you  will  find  that  they  were  men 
and  women  whose  soul  enwrapped  your  soul,  and  filled 
you  with  a  burning  desire  to  know  all  things. 

A  teacher  had  taught  many  years  Hundreds  of 
boys  and  girls  had  passed  under  his  care.  One  of 
them,  who  had  been  a  wayward  boy,  was  heard  to 
remark,  "Something  that  teacher  said  to  me  once, 
opened  my  eyes  to  the  possibilities  of  my  life,  and 
changed  my  future  career  in  the  world."  And  lo!  the 
teacher,  his  face  toward  the  setting  sun,  went  on  his 
way  with  a  glad  heart,  for  even  while  in  the  flesh,  he 
had  received  a  rich  recompense  for  all  his  labors. 

Baldwin  says:     "Teaching  is  the  art  of  promoting 

human  growth."     To  be  more  specific,  it  is  the  art  of 

promoting    mental,     moral,     and    physical 

definTtion     ^^^wth.       Under     its    influence    the     child 

advances   from   one   stage   to  another  in  a 

regular,  systematic  order.     It  is  a  constant,  unvarying 


The   Nature   and   Chai'acter  of   Teaclmig  ij 

influence  ministering  to  the  wants  of  the  child,  as  the 
sun  and  rain  minister  to  the  growth  of  the  plant. 

The  nature  of  teaching  is  such  that  it  must  be  based 
upon  mutual  confidence.  If  the  teacher  is  not  con- 
scious of  his  own  powers,  he  hesitates,  and,  through  his 
timidity  and  his  half-hearted  zeal,  fails  to  inspire  his 
class  to  do  the  best  work  possible.  On  the  other  hand, 
when  the  pupils  discover  that  the  instructor  is  incom- 
petent, or  is  dull,  lifeless,  and  half-hearted  in  his  work, 
they  first  lose  confidence  and  then  interest,  and  the 
time  allotted  to  the  class  recitation  is  wasted. 

Compayre  says  that  a  teacher  must  understand  how 

to  make  what  he  knows  an  instrument  of  intellectual 

culture.     Even   the   prattling  child   has   his 

ideal.     The   truest   teaching  known   is  that  ^^^Ppjtapce 

^  .  of  ideals 

which  searches  this  out  and  upon  it  endeavors 

to  build  the  child's  future. 

There  can  be  no  true  teaching  then,  where  there  is 
no  ideal  in  the  mind  of  the  teacher.  This  ideal,  which 
comes  to  the  teacher  as  the  result  of  study  and  experi- 
ence, must  be  clear,  well-defined,  and  sufficiently  strong 
to  give  tone  to  every  exercise  of  the  school. 

Dr.  James,  in  his  Talks  to  Teachers^  says:  *Tn  teach- 
ing you  must  work  your  pupil  into  such  a  state  of 
interest  in  what  you  are  going  to  teach  him 

that  every  other  object  of  attention  is  ban-     Quotation 
.  .  .  .        from  Dr. 

ished  from  his  mmd;  then  reveal  it  to  him    James. 

so  impressively  that  he  will  remember  the 

occasion  to  his  dying  day;  and  finally  fill  him  with  a 

devouring  curiosity  to  know  what  are  the  next  steps  in 

connection  with  the  subject." 

This    is    the    culmination   of   true   teaching:    that   it 

reaches  the  heart,  influences  the  motives,  controls  the 

impulses,  and  promotes  the   growth   of   manliness    in 


7^  Common   Sense  Didactics 

the  youth.  Teaching  in  its  highest  and  best  sense  is 
characterized  by  a  personality  which  takes  fast  hold  of 
the  child  and  creates  a  oneness  of  soul  and  heart 
between  teacher  and  taught,  so  that  either  becomes  a 
means  of  strength  and  help  to  the  other. 

The  reason  why  so  many  teachers  fail  in  their  work 
is  because  of  the  absence  of  the  teaching  spirit.  Many 
of  them  do  not  even  comprehend  that  there  is  such  a 
thing  in  existence.  They  hear  lessons,  they  enforce 
order,  but  their  teaching  is  steeped  in  the  very  dregs 
of  deadness. 

Somebody  has  said  that  Mark  Hopkins  at  one  end  of 
a  log  and  Garfield  at  the  other,  would  constitute  a 
university.  That  is  not  correct.  So  long  as  the  log 
separated  them  there  could  be  no  teaching  in  any  high 
sense.  That  would  be  possible  only  with  Hopkins  and 
Garfield  sitting  side  by  side,  heart  to  heart,  thought 
answering  thought;  the  teacher  quickening  the  pupil, 
and  the  pupil,  by  his  eagerness  to  learn  and  know  the 
truth,  stimulating  the  teacher  to  yet  greater  effort. 
Wherever  there  is  present  a  teacher  with  a  desire  to 
communicate  and  a  power  to  awaken  and  stimulate, 
and  a  pupil  not  only  willing  but  eager  to  learn, — these 
two  constitute  a  school. 

I  hold  that  the  growth  of  the  teacher  is  one  of  the  dis- 
tinctive characteristics  of  real  teaching.  Thring  says: 
"Like  all  other  high  arts,  life  must  have  free 

?heT/ach{r  P'^^  °^  ^^^^^  ^^"  ^^  "°  ^^"^  teaching." 
Living  with  the  pupil;  entering  into  his 
thoughts,  his  motives,  his  purposes;  controlling  and 
directing  all  his  energies  toward  one  end,  and  that 
end  growth, — this  is  teaching. 

Do  not  go  to  sleep  over  your  task;  put  soul  and 
brains  into    it.      Individualize  your  work.      At  every 


The   Nature   and   Character  of   Teaching  75 

point  bring  the  school  into  contact  with  the  world. 
Fetch  the  pebble  from  the  shore;  pluck  the  leaf  from 
the  tree,  the  rose  from  the  stem;  gather  bud  and  flower 
and  fruit;  go  out  into  the  highways  and  the  hedges, 
into  the  streets  and  the  marts  of  trade,  in  order  that 
you  may  stimulate  the  pupils  under  your  care  to 
develop  into  live  men  and  women.  "Light  up  the 
magic  lantern  of  common  sense  and  common  things," 
and  thus  illumine  your  work. 

Huxley  says:      "It  rests  entirely  upon  the  intellect- 
ual clearness   and    the  moral  worth  of  the  individual 
whether  the  political  experiment  which  we 
are    trying    in    this    country  will    succeed.      Huxley  s 
While  education  cannot    give    intellectual 
clearness  or  moral  worth,    it  may  cherish    them    and 
bring  them  to  the  front."      To  cherish  and  bring  to 
the    front    intellectual    clearness    that  the  pupil  may 
think  exactly,  and  moral  worth  that  he  may  act  rightly, 
these  are  the  ends  to  be  earnestly  sought  by  you  in 
your  work. 

Knowledge  is  not  always  a  means  of  discipline.     A 

man  with  a  comparatively  small  amount  of  knowledge 

may  have  a  mind  trained  to  think,  judge, 

remember,  and  reason.    A  man  with  a  large    Ktiowledge 

.     .      .  and  disci- 

amount  of  knowledge,  but  without  discipline   pline. 

to  put  what  he  knows  into  practice,  has  been 
compared  to  a  would-be  carpenter  with  a  basket  full 
of  sharp  tools  which  he  has  not  the  skill  to  use.     Con- 
sequently, while  the  possession  of  knowledge  is  desir- 
.able,  it  does  not  always  insure  a  good  teacher. 

Knowledge  alone  is  not  power.  Only  when  it  is 
applied  to  some  useful  purpose  does  it  become  of  any 
real  value  to  the  individual  or  the  public  at  large  It 
■is  a  part  of  the  teacher's  work  so  to  impart  knowledge 


i6  Common   Sense  Didacti c s 

that  the  pupil  may  assimilate  it  and  thus  gain  strength 
and  power  through  its  nutriment.  Knowledge  is  gen- 
erally supposed  to  be  an  accumulation  of 
not  power,  facts.  But  the  man  who  remembers  the 
most  dates  in  history  is  not  of  necessity  a 
superior  historian;  the  man  who  has  at  his  command 
all  the  rules  and  formulas  in  arithmetic  or  mathematics 
is  not  always  a  good  mathematician.  To  accumulate 
information  is  one  of  the  ends  to  be  kept  before  the 
pupil.  Every  teacher  should  remember  this,  but  at  the 
same  time  he  should  not  neglect  the  higher  end  which 
is  growth,  to  which  all  knowledge  should  be  made  to 
minister. 

Discipline  is   the  source  of  power.     A  man  with  a 

well-disciplined   mind   is  one  who  can  make  the  best 

possible  use  of  the  knowledge  he  possesses. 

Use  of  dis-  jj^^  body  is  disciplined  when,  throuc^h  care- 
ctpline,  ^  ,  -;  .  ^,  .      ,  ,  r 

ful  exercismg,  each  organ  is  able  to  perform 

its  functions  without  weariness.  One  object  of  the 
school  is  to  discipline  as  highly  as  possible  both  mind 
and  body. 

A  noted  man  wrote  thus  of  himself:  "I  do  not  make 
any  pretense  of  great  knowledge.  What  I  know  I 
have  made  my  own  by  thought  and  study.  I  know  it, 
as  it  were,  by  heart.  I  feel  dissatisfied  if  at  the  end  of 
the  week  I  have  not  added  some  increment,  however 
small,  to  the  sum  of  my  knowledge."  Yet  another 
writes:  "I  have  striven  all  my  life  to  make  my  knowl- 
edge of  some  service  to  others  with  whom  I  have  come 
in  contact.  If  I  have  done  any  good  in  the  world,  it 
is  because  of  this  effort  to  make  my  knowledge 
serviceable.  Selfishness  has  seemed  to  me  abhorrent 
to  my  nature,  and  so  I  have  endeavored  to  school 
myself  to  the  notion  that  through  the  possession  of 


The  Nature  and  Character  of    Teaching         ly 

knowledge  I  may  make  the  world  better  for  my  living 
in  it."  Knowledge  and  discipline  combined  make  a 
man  a  complete  master  of  himself. 

Education  is  systematic  development.  It  cannot 
do  everything,  nor  can  it  supply  that  which  is  missing. 
In  other  words,  education  cannot  create;  it  j^struc- 
can  only  unfold  or  draw  out.  While  it  may  twn  and 
be  true  that  the  mind  of  the  child  differs  ^^^^^^^'on- 
from  that  of  the  adult  only  in  the  power  or  strength 
which  comes  with  maturity,  it  is  equally  true  that  the 
mind  of  one  child  is  essentially  different  in  its  facul- 
ties, and  in  its  power  to  grasp,  from  the  mind  of  his 
seatmate.  Hence  the  skillful  teacher  discriminates  in 
what  may  be  wisely  required  of  children  during  the 
period  of  school  education.  It  is  the  province  of 
instructio7i  to  furnish  material;  of  education  to  work  the 
material  up,  so  that  it  may  minister  to  growth.  The 
mind  gains  strength  by  assimilating  the  knowledge  fur- 
nished through  instruction. 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  attempt  an  original  defini- 
tion of  education  or  instruction.  At  the  end  of  this 
chapter  are  a  few  definitions  sufficient  to  convey  a 
clear  idea  of  what  is  included  in  each  term  I  am 
anxious,  however,  to  impress  upon  the  reader  the 
thought  that  neither  education  nor  instruction  is 
derived  entirely  from  books. 

It  used  to  be  said  that  the  child  is  sent  to  school  to 
be   educated.      He  may  just   as  well   be  sent  to  the 
shoemaker's  bench  or  the  blacksmith's  shop 
for  that  purpose.     Life  is  the  great  educator,    ^^/^'^^ 
and  the  incidents  of  life  furnish  the  material 
for  instruction,  so  that  whether  the  child  becomes  an 
adept  in  book  knowledge  or  skilled  in  the  use  of  tools, 
an  artist  or  an  artisan,  he  is  educated  only  when    he 

2 


i8  Cofnmon   Sense   Didactics 

reaches  up  to  the  full  height  of  the  opportunities  which 
God  and  nature  throw  in  his  way. 

He  who  does  this  does  his  whole  duty.  Emerson 
has  this  in  mind  when  he  declares:  "If  a  man  can  write 
a  better  book,  preach  a  better  sermon,  or  make  a  better 
mouse-trap  than  his  neighbor,  though  he  build  his 
house  in  the  woods,  the  world  will  make  a  beaten  path- 
way to  his  den." 

Good  teaching  looks  to  the  future  of  the  child,  while 
poor  teaching  is  content  with  to-day  and  takes  no  note 
of  to-morrow  Education  is  the  searchlight 
Tke  child's  enabling  the  child  to  scan  the  horizon  which 
limits  the  possibilities  of  his  being.  It  is 
the  business  of  education  to  teach  the  pupil  how  to 
apply  knowledge,  for  thus  only  does  knowledge 
become  power.  A  strong,  sound  body;  a  keen,  sensi- 
tive conscience;  an  intellect  trained  to  reason,  to  con- 
clude, to  act, — these  are  the  parallel  lines  along  which 
education  must  move  in  order  to  reach  the  greatest 
degree  of  perfection. 

Study  is  an  essential  factor  in  the  process  of  educa- 
tion. It  is  based  upon  attention,  or  close,  persistent 
y    .     .  thought.     It  is  a  habit  which  can  be  culti- 

ance  of  vated  and  made  stronger   by   application. 

study.  jj^g  teacher  must  know  what  study  is,  and 

how  to  cultivate  it,  before  he  can  induce  others  to 
study. 

The  power  to  master  a  subject  and  to  make  it  his 
own  is  lost  to  the  pupil  who  has  not  been  taught  how 
to  study  Do  not  overlook  the  importance  of  this 
point,  both  in  your  preparatory  work  and  in  your  actual 
teaching. 

Study  is  close  application  of  the  mind  to  the  subject 
in  hand.     It  is  largely  a  habit  which  may  be  acquired 


The  Nature  a?id  Character  of   Teaching  ig 

through  persistent  effort.      But  it  is  a  habit  which  fol- 
lows the  pupil   into  business  life,  and  ministers  much 
to  his  success.     The   clerk  often  has  to  learn  how  to 
study  after  he  leaves  school.      That  is,  he  has  to  with- 
draw within  himself  and  exclude  all   out- 
side   affairs  while   he   pays  strict  attention      defined. 
to  whatever  his  employer  has  committed  to 
his   charge.     Self-interest    incites    him    to   this.     He 
desires  to  retain  his  position,  to  achieve  promotion, 
and  to  obtain  a  foothold  from  which  he   may  climb  to 
yet  greater  heights. 

The  training  necessary  to  gain  this  power  of  applica- 
tion must  begin  with  the  first  lesson  assigned  to  the 
child  in  school,  and  it  must  continue  to  the  end  of 
school  life.  It  is  the  real  work  of  the  school;  something 
to  do,  something  to  acquire  within  a  given  time. 

Rosenkranz  insists  that  the  plain  distinction  between 
work  and  play  must  be  observed.     "Work  should  never 
be  treated  as  if  it  were  play,  nor  play  as  if      j^osett- 
it  were  work. ' '    There  is  a  marked  tendency      kranz's 
in  our  schools  to-day  to  discard  work — which      ^'^^^* 
is  study — and  to  substitute  in  its  place  a  kind  of  semi- 
study,  which  is  but  little  better  than  play. 

The  child  learns  how  to  study  by  studying.  He 
must  do  most  of  the  work  himself.  Lewis  Ransom 
Fiske,  in  Man  Building,  says:  "For  either  the  book 
or  the  teacher  to~  do  the  whole  work  is  robbing  the 
child  of  power.  It  is  worth  immensely  more  for  the 
boy  to  learn  how  to  study  one  thing  thoroughly,  than 
to  read  a  dozen  things  in  a  book." 

In  order  to  study  to  the  best  advantage,  there  must 
be  sufficient  will-power  to  call  in  the  wandering 
thoughts  and  fix  them  upon  the  lesson.  In  most  cases 
of    failure    this    is    the.  cause.     Begin  with  giving  a 


20  Common   Sense  Didactics 

short  lesson  and  not  too  much  time  in  which  to  learn 
it,  and  then  insist  upon  close  application  and  study 
during  the  allotted  period. 

Lessons  should  be  proportioned  in  length  and  in 
difficulty  to  the  intellect  of  the  child.  Im- 
notacrhrie.  maturity  IS  not  a  crime.  Too  many  teachers 
make  their  own  ability  to  grasp  and  master, 
the  criterion  by  which  to  judge  the  ability  of  the  child. 
Development  is  a  slow  process.  It  is  a  question 
whether  we  do  not  at  times  hasten  it  so  much  as  to 
induce  a  superficial  knowledge.  Give  the  seed  time  to 
germinate.  Watch  patiently  the  beginnings,  and  culti- 
vate a  continuous  growth.  "Make  haste  slowly"  is  an 
excellent  motto  for  the  schoolroom.  Do  not  think 
you  are  doing  well  because  you  are  doing  much. 

Training  is  only  continual  practice  along  a  given  or 
direct  line.  It  often  precedes  the  real  work  of  instruc- 
tion, but  when  rightly  and  wisely  directed  it 
aimng  becomes  an  important  aid  in  the  develop- 
ment of  mental  power.  To  train  a  child  is  to  cause 
him  to  do  certain  things  in  the  best  and  most  natural 
way. 

Physical  training,   as  it  leads   to    the   formation  of 
habits  which  make  the  child  an  agreeable  or  disagree- 
able member  of  the  family  or  school,  is  by 
no  means  to  be  neglected.      The  first  five 
years  of   the    child's    life   ought    to   be  devoted  very 
largely  to  physical  development.     During  the  second 
five,  the  mind  should  not  be  overfed.    The  mental  diet 
should  be  carefully  selected.     Those  methods  should 
by  all  means  be  avoided  which  are  calculated  to  make 
a  mental  or  intellectual   prodigy  out  of  the  little  child. 
While  I  am  at  times  filled  with  wonder  at  the  intel- 
lectual  feats  performed  by  little  children  in  some  of 


The  Nature  a?id    Character  of   Teaching         2i 

our  schools,  I  wonder  still  more  at  the  supreme  folly 
of  the  teaching  which  permits  such  things.  On  the 
other  hand,  when  the  child  is  ten  years  old  the 
foundations  for  scholarship  should  have  been  laid. 
He  should  have  some  power  of  application,  some  habit 
of  study,  and  should  know  the  pleasure  which  comes 
from  conquering  difficulties.  He  should  begin  to 
realize  what  work  is. 

Skill,   as  the   expression  of  power,   is   the   result  of 
careful,     painstaking    training.       Skill    can    best    be 
acquired  in  youth.     Natural    or    inherited       ca//_ 
skill,  shown  by  the  aptitude  of  children  for      how  best 
some  particular  line  of  work,  can  be  much      acquired, 
improved  by  practice.     If  allowed  to  fall  into  disuse  it 
seems  to  be  forgotten,  and  gradually  to  disappear  as  a 
controlling  power. 

In  all  these  things  let  there  be  intelligent  freedom, 
so  that  every  teacher  may  find  for  himself  the  way  to 

The  Open  Door. 

Quotations  Worth  Reading 

teaching 

Teaching  is  the  art  of  promoting  human  growth.  The  efficient 
teacher  understands  the  growing  pupil  and  understands  the  subject 
taught.  He  completely  adapts  matter  and  method  and  leads 
learners  to  put  forth  their  best  efforts  in  the  best  ways. 

—Joseph  Baldwin. 

All  who  propose  to  teach  need  to  recollect  that  the  very  basis 
of  fitness  for  teaching,  so  far  as  it  can  be  gained  from  study,  is  a 
broad  and  accurate  scholarship. 

— David  p.  Page. 

The  term  teaching,  it  is  thus  seen,  is  a  little  more  comprehen- 
sive than  the  word  znstructw?t.  An  instructor,  strictly  speaking, 
is  one  who  furnishes  the  mind  with  knowledge ;  a  teacher  is  one 
who  furnishes  the  mind  with  knowledge,  and  at  the  same  time 
aims  to  give  mental  culture. 

— Edward  Brooks. 


22  Common   S 6  71$ e  Didactic s 

KNOWLEDGE 

Knowledge  is  gained  by  study  and  by  observation.  It  is 
imparted  by  the  printed  page  and  living  teacher  and  is  gathered 
from  a  thousand  different  sources.  "Life  forces  knowledge  upon 
us,"  and  whether  he  will  or  not  man  cannot  escape  knowledge. 

—Selected. 

To  impart  knowledge  at  the  right  time,  in  the  best  way,  and  in 
discreet  measures  is  one  test  of  a  teacher's  skill.  It  is  a  higher 
test  if  by  pointing  out  the  sources  of  knowledge  he  can  lead  the 
pupil  to  form  habits  of  investigation  and  research  such  as  will  last 
him  his  lifetime. 

—Selected. 

DISCIPLINE 

Discipline  is  the  result  of  training  and  study.  In  physical 
culture  it  gives  a  man  control  of  his  muscles,  so  that  they  are 
obedient  to  his  will.  In  mental  culture  it  gives  him  control  of  his 
intellectual  powers,  so  that  he  is  able  under  all  circumstances  to 
do  the  best  work  possible.  In  moral  training  discipline  gives  a 
man  such  control  of  himself  bodily  and  mentally  that  he  can  resist 
temptation,  discern  good  from  evil,  and  make  the  best  choice. 

—Selected. 

Through  discipline  rather  than  instruction  the  teacher  renders 
it  possible  for  the  child  in  youth  and  the  adult  in  later  life  to  raise 
himself  to  higher  levels  of  living. 

-SelecUd. 

INSTRUCTION 

The  principal  means  employed  in  intellectual  education  is 
instruction.  There  is,  in  fact,  no  other  way  to  develop  the 
faculties  than  by  exercising  them.  Now,  intellectual  exercise  is 
study,  and  teaching  is  causing  a  pupil  to  study. 

■  -Compayre. 

Instruction  is  the  furnishing  of  the  mind  with  knowledge.  It 
is  the  process  of  developing  knowledge  in  the  mind  of  another. 
The  term  is  derived  from  in,  into,  and  struo,  I  build,  meaning  I 
build  into.  To  instruct  the  mind  is  thus  to  furnish  it  with  knowl- 
edge, to  build  up  knowledge  in  the  mind. 

—Edward  Brooks. 


Instruction  is  directly  giving  information — knowledge  of  facts, 
new  ideas,  and  words — to  the  pupil.  It  should  be  done  only  for 
the  purpose  of  stimulating  the  desire  for  more  knowledge,  and  of 
furnishing  material  that  the  pupil  cannot  economically  get  for 
himself. 

—Ruric  N  Roark. 


The  Nature    and  Character  of   Teaching         2j 

EDUCA  TION 

Education  is  any  process  or  act  which  results  in  knowledge,  or 
power,  or  skill.  It  includes  not  only  teaching  and  learning,  but 
all  acts,  processes  and  influences  which  occasion  these  results, 
whether  as  scholarship,  culture,  habit,  or  character. 

—Emerson  E.  White. 

Education  is  the  science  of  human  development.  We  cultivate 
plants,  train  animals  and  educate  persons.  Education  makes 
the  difference  between  the  feeble  infant  and  the  strong  man. 

—Joseph  Baldwin. 

Education  can  only  develop  and  form,  not  create.  It  cannot 
undertake  to  form  a  being  into  anything  other  than  it  was 
destined  to  be  by  the  endowments  originally  received  at  the 
hands  of  nature. 

Education  can  only  develop  and  unfold;  it  cannot  create  any- 
thing new. 

— Rosenkranz. 

Education  is  a  living  into  better  things. 

— Grant  Karr. 

STUDY 

Study  is  the  attentive  application  of  the  mind  to  an  object  or 
subject  for  the  purpose  of  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  it.  Study 
involves  persistent  attention,  and  continued  or  prolonged  holding 
of  the  mind  to  the  knowing  of  an  object  by  acts  of  the  will. 

—Emerson  E.   White. 

Let  the  mind  of  the  pupil  be  studied  as  well  as  the  quality  of 
the  recitation  determined.  What  has  been  learned  should  become 
known  by  the  teacher,  but  how  the  student  proceeds  in  gaining 
knowledge  should  also  be  investigated,  and  guidance  afforded. 

— Lewis  Ransom  Fiske. 
TRAINING 

The  systematic  procedure  of  the  teacher  is  implied  in  the  word 
training.  It  means  the  continuous  or  periodic  exercise  of  the 
faculty,  with  the  definite  purpose  of  strengthening  it  and 
advancing  its  growth. 

—James  Sully. 

The  teacher  needs  to  observe,  read,  think,  practice.  He  needs 
to  sit  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  of  Aristotle,  of  Socrates,  and  of  Festa- 
lozzi,  and  learn  methods  from  the  masters. 

— Selected. 

Children  may  be  trained  so  as  to  respond  in  the  right  way  to 
any  duty  in  life.  If  they  see  a  misplaced  article,  they  may,  on 
catching  sight  of  it,  put  it  in  its  place  as  naturally  as  a  dog  points 
toward  a  bird  for  which  the  hunter  is  looking, 

—Reuben  Post  Halleck 


24  Common   Sense   Didactic s 

Questions  for  Examination 

/.  What  do  you  understand  by  the  expression,  '  'the  spirit  of 

the  teacher?" 
2.  What  is  the  necessity  of  freedom  in  the  process  of  teaching? 
J.  What  does  Dr.  James  say  in  his  Talks  to  Teachers,  which 

is  applied  in  this  chapter? 
4.  What  end  is  to  be  most  ardently  sought  by  the  teacher  in 

his  work? 
J.  Why  is  knowledge  not  always  a  means  of  discipline? 

6.  When  only  may  we  say  that  knowledge  is  power? 

7.  When  may  we  say  a  man  has  a  well  disciplined  mind? 

8.  What  is  study? 

9.  What  is  it  to  train  a  child? 

10.  What  is  skill?    How  may  it  be  acquired? 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

/.  Do  I  know  how  to  study? 

2.  What  conditions  are  favorable  to  close  study? 

J.  What  treatment  is  best  for  the  excessively  nervous  child? 

4.  Are  my  pupils  wasting  their  time? 

J.  What  professional  progress  am  I  making? 


CHAPTER  II 

THE   TEACHER 

The  Master  Builder 

The  inspiration  of  the  school  is  the  presence  of  the  living 
teacher. 

Above  all,  a  teacher  must  be  a  scholar,  and  if  he  is  to  be  a 
teacher  of  real  power,  he  must  be  a  man  of  wide  and  accurate 
scholarship. 

~W.  H.  Payne. 

Good  methods  of  teaching  are  important,  but  they  cannot 
supply  the  want  of  ability  in  the  teacher.  The  Socratic  method 
is  good,  but  a  Socrates  behind  the  teacher's  desk  to  ask  questions 
is  better. 

—  Thomas  M.  Balliet. 

The  woman  who  touched  the  hem  of  the  Savior's  garment  felt 
at  once  the  vivifying  influences  which  were  all  the  time  going 
forth  from  the  Great  Teacher,  Here  we  stand  face  to  face  with 
the  greatest  mystery  of  the  teacher's  art. 

— Nathan  C.  Schaeffer. 

THERE  are  some  things  which  the  teacher  ought 
to  be  or  do.     There  also  are  some  things  which 
he  ought  not  to  be  or  do,  and  these  latter  are  of  equal 
importance  with  the  former.    He  ought  not 
to  be  indifferent  to  his  personal  appearance.       Personal 
No  matter  how  small  his  monthly  salary;  no      ancT! 
matter  how  meanly  dressed  his  pupils  may 
be;  no  matter  though  the  people  of  the  district  are  care- 
less as  to  cleanliness  and  neatness,  the  teacher  is  under 
obligations    to  place  before    the    pupils    an    example 
which  they  may  safely  follow. 

If  the  teacher  is  a  lady,  then  a  trim  dress,  which 
costs  but  little,  a  clean  apron  kept  in  the  desk  for  school 
use,  a  spotless  white  collar  set  off  by  a  bit  of  blue  ribbon 
tastefully  tied  at  the  throat,  hair  neatly  brushed,  teeth 

^5 


26  Comma 71   Sense  Didactics 

pearly  white,  finger  nails  immaculate  as  ivory, — these 
things  will  exert  a  more  potent  influence  over  thought- 
less boys  and  girls  than  switch  or  ferule  can  possibly 
have.  The  frown  of  such  a  teacher  is  a  terror  to  evil- 
doers, and  her  smile  is  a  perpetual  reward  to  those 
who  do  well. 

With  a  male  teacher,  personal  appearance  is  of 
equal  consequence.  Tidy  linen,  well-kept  hands,  pure 
breath  uncontaminated  with  the  odor  of  tobacco  or 
liquor,  garments  that  fit  the  person,  with  nothing  of 
the  dude,  with  everything  of  the  gentleman, — we  count 
these  as  little  things,  and  yet  they  add  to  the  strength 
of  the  strong  and  increase  the  wisdom  of  the  wise. 

Fuller  writes:  "The  good  yeoman  is  a  gentleman  in 
ore,  whom  the  next  age  may  see  refined;  he  is  the 
wax,  capable  of  a  gentle  impression,  when  the  prince 
shall  stamp  it." 

Again,  the  teacher  cannot  be  one  person  in  the 
presence  of  the  school,  and  an  entirely  different  person 
in  society  at  large.  He  cannot  shut  up  his 
Un^orfnity  character  in  his  desk,  or  confine  it  to  the 
^sincerity.  schoolroom  when  he  locks  the  door  at  night. 
The  most  essential  thmg  about  a  teacher  is 
his  character,  and  that  cannot  be  separated  from  his 
individuality.  The  prime  element  in  character  is  sin- 
cerity. Children  unconsciously  judge  a  man  by  this 
test,  and  if  <hey  find  him  wanting,  they  at  once  lose 
confidence  in  him.  In  the  old  days  when  the  teacher 
"boarded  round"  a  week  in  a  family,  parents  could 
estimate  the  master's  worth  with  a  good  degree  of 
exactness.  Now,  about  all  they  know  of  the  school 
teacher  is  what  the  children  tell  them  at  home,  and 
what  they  see  of  him  as  they  meet  him  from  time  to 
time. 


The    Teacher  2y 

Unfortunately  they  also  have  the  habit  of  making 
the  school  and  the  teacher  a  principal  theme  of  con- 
versation at  their  various  gatherings.  This  is  owing 
mainly  to  the  paucity  of  startling  events,  especially  in 
country  life.  It  is  not  often  done  with  malice  or  any 
evil  intent,  and  yet  it  has  proved  the  ruin  of  many 
schools.  The  teacher  should  so  conduct  himself  out" 
of  school  that  no  indiscreet  act  will  furnish  food  for 
public  talk  or  for  idle  rumor  to  feed  upon. 

The  teacher  should  not  say  or  do  things  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  making  .himself  popular.  Such  a  course 
will  sooner  or  later  reveal  the  heartlessness  which  lies 
beneath.  He  should  have  convictions  as  to  what  is 
right  or  wrong,  and  stay  by  them  courageously.  But, 
on  the  other  hand,  he  should  not  set  himself  up  to  be  a 
**  judge  in  Israel,"  nor  needlessly  antagonize  those 
who  with  equal  honesty  hold  opinions  very  different 
from  his. 

There  are  some  acts  which  maybe  harmless  in  them- 
selves, but  which  are  distasteful  to  the  people  whose 
children  are  under  his  care;  from  the  practice  of  these 
the    teacher   ought    to    refrain.     When   Horace  Mann 
sat  on  a  stool  at  the  tables  in  Antioch,   partaking  of 
food  indifferently  cooked,  some  one  said  to 
him:     "Mr.  Mann,  how  can  you  endure  all      ^^^^^ 
this?"      He    replied:     "I    can    endure  all 
things   for  the   sake  of   these  young  people."     So  the 
conscientious  teacher  may  reply  to  one  who  asks  why 
he  refrains  from  certain  amusements:      *T  can  refrain 
from    anything    rather  than  forfeit   the   confidence  of 
the  people  of  the  district,   or  weaken  in  the   least  my 
influence  over  the  pupils  under  my  charge." 

It  is  well  if  a  teacher  has  the  most  wonderful  of  all 
gifts,  the  gift  of  silence.     As  in  the  family,  so  in  the 


28  Commo 71    Sense    Didactic s 

school,    there    are    many    little    incidents    happening 

occasionally  which   should  be  corrected  at  the  time, 

and  then  dropped.     Above  all,  public  noto- 

The  gift  riety  should  not  be  given  to  them  by  mak- 
of  stlcncc.  o  ^ 

ing  them  the  subject  of  conversation  out  of 

school.  A  parent  has  the  right  to  ask  a  teacher  con- 
cerning the  conduct  and  progress  of  his  own  child, 
and  he  is  entitled  to  a  candid,  truthful  answer.  But 
he  has  no  right  to  ask  the  same  information  concerning 
his  neighbor's  child.  If  he  does,  the  prudent  teacher 
will  give  him  only  a  very  general  reply.  A  child's 
reputation  is  a  part  of  his  individuality,  and  ought 
not  to  be  trifled  with  ruthlessly 

It  is  exceedingly  unwise  for  a  teacher  to  ventilate 
his  school  troubles  to  every  one  with  whom  he  falls  in 
company,  A  teacher  may  destroy  his  own  school  by 
this  wholesale  slander  of  it.  When  the  teacher  talks 
about  his  pupils,  the  pupils  retaliate  by  telling  tales  of 
the  teacher.  Then  the  parents  become  involved,  and 
the  usefulness  of  the  school  is  greatly  impaired,  if  not 
utterly  destroyed.  The  author  writes  out  of  his  own 
experience  as  superintendent  of  schools.  More  than 
once  he  has  had  occasion  to  say  to  a  teacher  who  was 
making  a  dismal  failure:  "The  trouble  with  your 
school  is  that  you  are  talking  too  much  about  your 
affairs." 

Great  harm  comes  to  the  school  when  teachers  begin 
to  criticize  each  other's  work.  A  superintendent  of  a 
large  system  of  schools,  who  is  accustomed 
Criticizing  to  examine  carefully  intoacandidate's  quali- 
%a7/ters.  fications,  among  other  questions  asks  this: 
"Has  she  a  happy  faculty  of  getting  along 
with  other  teachers  without  friction?"  He  will  not 
have  a  teacher  in  his  corps,  if  he  knows  it,  who  cannot 


The  Teacher  2g 

do  this.  Every  teacher  is  entitled  to  the  sympathy  and 
support  of  his  fellow  workers. 

The  introduction  of  one  gossiping  teacher  into  a 
corps  is  calculated  to  injure  the  entire  organization  in 
that  city  or  town.  At  once  there  will  spring  up  hard 
feelings,  jealousies  and  suspicions;  cruel  innuendoes 
will  be  thrown  out  against  one  or  another;  without 
knowing  why  or  how,  the  innocent  often  become 
involved  with  the  guilty,  and  for  the  time  being  the 
schools  are  wrecked  so  far  as  usefulness  is  concerned. 

The  ignorant  teacher  can  be  endured  for  a  season; 
the  incompetent  can  be  got  rid  of;  but  from  the 
teacher  who  talks  there  is  no  deliverance.  His  evil 
influence  lasts  long  after  he  has  disappeared  from  the 
scene.  A  teacher  in  a  city  in  which  there  was  much 
turmoil  and  talk  once  said  to  me:  "My  daily  prayer 
to  God  is  that  He  will  give  me  grace  to  hold  my 
tongue."  I  judge  that  his  prayer  was  answered,  as  he 
has  held  his  position  for  over  forty  years. 

This  much  I  have  felt  called  upon  to  say,  as  to  what 
a  teacher  ought  not  to  be  or  do.  Upon  the  positive 
side  of  the  question  no  little  has  been  written  and 
spoken  by  earnest  teachers.  Educational  books  without 
number  have  laid  down  lines  along  which  every  good 
teacher  ought  to  walk.  But,  notwithstanding  all  this 
mass  of  instruction  furnished  by  books  and  papers  and 
at  associations,  the  teacher  has  not  yet  reached  perfec- 
tion. Probably  he  never  will  until  the  world  enters 
upon  the  joys  of  the  millennium. 

Under  the  limitations  of  this  life  the  best  advice  that 
can  be  given  a  teacher  is  to  cultivate  cheer- 
fulness and  hope;  to  meet  difficulties  one  at  ^* 
a  time;   to   exercise   good   common    sense,  and  more 


JO  Commo 71  Sense  Didactics 

than  all,  not  to  worry.  Worry  is  killing  more  teachers 
in  America  to-day  than  all  the  haro  work  exacted 
from  them  by  rules  and  regulations  of  the  board. 
Brain  and  nerves  are  consumed  by  worry,  as  the  fuel 
is  by  the  flame.  Take  a  stroll  every  day  in  the  open 
air;  take  a  Saturday  for  a  party  in  the  woods;  get 
away  from  school  and  books;  learn  a  lesson  of  growth 
from  the  grass  as  the  green  appears  with  the  opening 
days  of  spring,  of  patience  from  the  rocks,  which 
endure  alike  the  suns  of  summer  and  the  frosts  of 
winter;  of  faith  from  the  flowers,  which  bloom  and 
scent  the  air  to-day  though  they  perish  to-morrow. 
Lucy  Larcom  says: 

And  everywhere,  here  and  always. 

If  we  would  but  open  our  eyes, 
We  would  find,  through  these  beaten  footpaths, 

Our  way  into  paradise. 

Dull  earth  would  be  dull  no  longer, 

The  clod  would  sparkle  a  gem ; 
And  our  hands,  at  their  commonest  labor, 

Would  be  building  Jerusalem 

A  Russian  prince  visiting  America  once  uttered  this 
piayer:  "O  Lord,  if  I  have  to  die  soon,  let  me  know 
a  few  days  beforehand.  Take  me  to  a  place  where 
they  have  no  appointments;  take  me  to  a  place  where 
I  can  hear  something  besides  business.  Give  me  one 
day  of  rest  before  I  die,  where  I  can  see  the  bright 
sunshine  and  breathe  the  fresh  air  of  heaven." 

Without  egotism    or    boasting    learn    to 
a  ^ood  think  well  of  yourself  and  to  speak  well  of 

opinion  of      your     work.       Nine     times     out     of     ten 
yoursej.        ^y^^    ^^^    ^j^^    depreciates    himself,    and 

decries  his  own  work,  is  a  hypocrite  who  would  count 
you  his  worst  enemy  if  you  should  dare  to  murmur  a 


The  Teacher  ji 

soulful  "amen"  to  what  he  says  of  himself  and  his 
want  of  success.  Emancipate  yourself  in  all  possible 
ways  from  the  abominable  spirit  of  worry.   Try  to  realize 

The  freer  step,  the  fuller  breath, 

The  wide  horizon's  grander  view; 
The  sense  of  life  that  knows  no  death, 

The  life  that  maketh  all  things  new. 

The  personal  character  of  the  teacher  stands  first  in 
the  test  of  qualifications.  Integrity  in  all  business 
transactions;  a  rigid  compliance  with  the 
terms  of  contract;  the  conscientious  dis-  ^^  na  i y. 
charge  of  every  duty;  freedom  from  all  vices;  a  due 
regard  to  the  potent  influence  of  example  over  the 
lives  of  the  children  under  his  charge;  a  high-toned 
morality  which  cannot  endure  anything  base  or  low — 
these  are  some  of  the  points  which  school  directors 
cannot  scrutinize  too  closely  in  persons  who  desire  to 
act  as  teachers  in  the  schools. 

The  teacher  should  hold  in  mind  the  issues  which 
hang  upon  his  work.  He  must  himself  be  all  which  he 
desires  his  pupils  to  become.  In  addition  to  the  above, 
cleanliness  of  person,  neatness  of  attire,  pleasing 
manners,  correctness  of  expression,  gentlemanly  or 
ladylike  bearing,  can  best  be  induced  in  the  pupils  by 
the  example  of  the  teacher.     (See  page  25.) 

Integrity  is  a  stronger  word  than  honesty;  it  reaches 
farther;  it  searches  out  the  motives  which  govern    a 
man's  actions.    A  teacher  with  a  deep  sense 
of  integrity  will  never  for  a  moment  disre-      Integrity 
gard   a  contract,  no  matter  whether   it    is      honesty. 
verbal  or  written.     A   contract    is  equally 
binding  upon  teacher  and  directors,  and  one  party  has 
no  more  right  than  the  other  to  disregard  its  terms. 
The  honor  of  our  calling  is  at  stake  here. 


j2  Common  Sense  Didactic s 

A  teacher  of  prominence  was  offered  a  more  desir- 
able position  in  the  middle  of  the  year.  His  board 
decided  that  they  could  not  release  him  consistently 
with  the  interests  of  the  school  under  their  care.  He 
at  once  wrote  to  the  proper  officials:  "I  have  a  con- 
tract here  and  I  cannot  honorably  accept  your  offer." 
He  did  what  was  right  and  commendable.  Any  other 
course  would  have  left  him  open  to  criticism. 

As  this  is  a  heart  to  heart  talk  we  may  speak  of 
some  things  in  confidence.  Lately  I  saw  an  inquiry 
blank  which  a  city  superintendent  sends  to 
Some  persons  whose  names  are  given  as  references 

conidence.  t)y  candidates  for  positions  in  the  public 
schools.  Among  other  questions  was  this: 
"Does  he  pay  his  debts  promptly?"  There  is  no  habit 
which  will  ruin  a  teacher's  reputation  more  quickly 
than  that  of  running  in  debt  at  the  stores.  If  necessary 
to  ask  for  credit  the  obligation  should  be  met  without 
fail  when  pay  day  comes.  The  reputation  of  being 
strictly  reliable  in  business  transactions  is  just  as 
necessary  to  the  teacher  as  it  is  to  the  business  man. 

Another  question  was  this:  "Does  he  exhibit  any 
interest  in  his  pupils  outside  of  his  school  duties?" 
This  is  a  very  important  point.  The  most  skillful 
disciplinarians  govern  their  schools  as  much  through 
the  influence  which  they  exert  out  of  school  as  by 
commands  and  restraints  imposed  when  school  is  in 
session.  It  is  the  "unconscious  tuition"  which  knows 
no  rest  that  really  governs  the  school,  if  it  is  well 
governed.  Channing  writes:  "Parents  should  seek  an 
educator  for  the  young  of  their  families  who  will 
become  to  them  a  hearty  and  efficient  friend,  counselor, 
coadjutor  in  their  work."  And  he  adds:  "Such  is  the 
teacher  we  need  and  his  value  cannot  be  paid  in  gold." 


The  Teacher  JJ 

Payne  says:    "The  teacher  must  be  a  scholar."   (See 
page  25.)     The  scholarship  should  be  broad  without 
being  shallow;  it  must  be  sufficient  to  meet 
all  the  needs  of  the  school — but  it  should    Scholar- 
not    be    obtained    by    cramming    for    the    Crammmg. 
occasion.     There  can  be  no  habit  more  de- 
structive of  genuine  scholarship  than  that  of  cramming 
for  a   certificate   examination.     The  information  thus 
gained  is  not  permanently  in  possession  of  the  mind;  it 
perishes  with  the  using  of  it.     This  custom  is  too  com- 
mon among  teachers.     It  is  not  productive  of  thought 
or  mental  strength,  and  under  such  conditions  the  exam- 
ination is  no  test  of  the  candidate's  fitness  for  teaching. 

More  than  this,  it  seems  to  me  not  to  be  consistent 
with  moral  honesty,  because  the  teacher  does  not 
appear  in  his  true  light  His  apparent  knowledge  is 
only  pretension,  a  sham,  and  will  avail  nothing  in  his 
school  work.  The  examiner  has  as  much  reason  for 
rejecting  a  candidate  who  has  crammed  for  the  exam- 
ination as  he  has  for  refusing  a  certificate  to  one  who 
is  ignorant. 

The  teacher  should  be  a  generous  reader  of  good 
books,   but   not  an  omnivorous  reader   of   everything 
which    falls  in  his  way.      He  should  be  a 
student,  and  it  is  often  well  for  the  school      Reading 
if  he  is  pursuing  some  chosen  line  of  read-      Sooks. 
ing  or  investigation    for  his  own   interest. 
His  scholarship  should  lead  to  a  development  of  his 
powers  of  thought. 

There  are  too  many  teachers  whose  scholarship  is 
superficial,  who  skim  over  the  surface,  who  never  dive 
in  search  of  treasures  which  are  apt  to  be  hidden  in 
the  deep  places.  The  best  teacher  is  one  whose  soul 
is  imbued  with  a  love  of  knowledge,  and  who  can 
3 


J4  Com^non  Sense  Didactic  $ 

bring  to  his  classes  the  ripe  fruits  of  a  mind  thor- 
oughly trained  to  reason,  to  judge,  to  conclude — in  a 
word,  trained  to  think. 

The  teacher  should  never  come  to  the  end  of  his 
resources.  To  avoid  this  he  should  be  a  reader  of 
educational  literature,  and  a  student  of 
whatever  branches  he  undertakes  to  teach. 
It  is  a  credit  to  a  teacher  when  it  can  be  said  of  him 
that  he  studies  the  lessons  which  he  expects  to  hear 
the  pupils  recite. 

"After  beauty  and  vigor  of  character,  there  is 
nothing  that  so  wins  the  respect  and  admiration  of 
pupils  as  fullness  and  accuracy  of  preparation." 

A  very  successful  teacher  once  said:  "If  I  have  had 
any  success  in  teaching  it  is  because  I  have  never  per- 
mitted myself  to  go  before  a  class  without  careful 
preparation."  Another,  a  master  in  the  classroom, 
says:  "Every  day  should  add  something  new  to  the 
outfit  of  the  teacher.  From  the  first  day  with  the 
primary  grade  to  the  last  of  the  high  school  or  college 
the  teacher  who  would  succeed  cannot  safely  neglect 
special  preparation  for  the  day's  work,  ever  seeking 
for  some  means  for  securing  a  closer  sympathy  with 
his  pupils,  some  way  of  presenting  the  subject  more 
naturally  and  more  efficiently,  some  new  illustration, 
some  truer  aim,  some  higher  motive."     (See  page  12.) 

Bear  in  mind,  however,  that  the  pupil  studies  with  the 
view  of  reciting  the  lessons;  the  teacher  should  study 
with  the  view  of  conducting  the  recitation 
^^Ther^        so  as  to  aid  the  pupil   in  getting  the  most 
should  possible  out  of  the  lesson.     This  point  is 

^/tt-^/e^son      worthy  of    careful    consideration     by   the 
teacher.     It   is   one   thing  to  run  over  the 
lesson  just  before  the  class  is  called,  with  a  view  of 


The  Teacher  J5 

knowing  what  is  in  it;  it  is  a  very  different  thing  to 
prepare  it  with  the  view  of  ascertaining  what  points 
will  need  explanation  and  elucidation,  in  what  respects 
supplemental  information  may  be  given,  errors  cor- 
rected and  principles  restated.  Probably  it  is  true 
that  teachers  fail  to  grow  because  of  the  tendency  of 
the  mind  to  fall  into  certain  grooves  and  channels.  In 
our  common  schools  this  danger  is  increased  by  the 
multitude  of  lessons  which  the  teacher  must  hear  each 
half  day.  The  danger  is  not  much,  if  any,  lessened  in 
our  high  schools  in  which  specialists  are  employed  in 
different  branches. 

We  sometimes  designate  this  tendency  as  "falling 
into  the  ruts."  It  can  be  partially  avoided  by  careful 
study  of  the  best  methods,  by  reading  the  best  books, 
and  by  a  thoughtful  adaptation  of  knowledge  to  the 
everyday  work  of  the  school.  But  don't  be  dis- 
couraged because  you  cannot  entirely  rid  yourself  of 
the  proclivity.  It  is  incident  to  life  in  every  calling. 
To-day  does  not  vary  much  from  yesterday;  to-mor- 
row will  not  vary  greatly  from  to-day.  The  difference 
between  to-day  and  one  hundred  years  previous  is  the 
result  of  the  slow  increments  of  daily  growth  and 
progress.  Compare  the  work  you  are  doing  now  with 
that  which  you  attempted  years  ago,  and  perhaps  you 
will  find  encouraging  evidences  of  advancement  and 
power.  Remember,  moreover,  that  life  without 
growth  is  sevenfold  death. 

Morgan    says:      "A   man   without   a   heart   has    no 
business  to  be  a  schoolmaster."     One  of 
the  strongest,  elements   which  is  found  in    f^'J^^^'^-^ 
the  life  of  every  teacher  is  sympathy.     It    patience. 
is    no    part   of   the    teacher's   vocation    to 
repress  the   self-activity   of   the  child,    but   to   guide 


^6  Common  Se?ise  Didactics 

it  so  that  it  may  become  a  factor  in  his  growth.     (See 
page  32.) 

The  heart  of  the  little  child  responds  to  loving 
words  and  kind  deeds,  as  the  strings  of  the  instrument 
to  the  touches  of  the  skillful  player.  As  in  the  mirror 
face  answereth  to  face,  so  ought  the  heart  and  con- 
science of  the  child  to  answer  to  the  heart  and 
conscience  of  the  teacher. 

Patience  combined  with  firmness,  with  no  show  of 
severity,  yet  with  no  slackness  in  maintaining  good 
order,  with  a  deep  abiding  interest  in  whatever 
promotes  the  welfare  of  each  child  at  home  as  well  as 
at  school — these  must  be  included  in  the  teacher  who 
deserves  success.  It  is  an  easy  thing  to  keep  school; 
but  it  is  a  great  and  noble  thing  to  be  a  true  teacher. 

If  the'  building  is  to  be  fitly  joined  together,  a 
temple  worthy  to  be  the  dwelling  place  of  the  soul, 
there  must  be 

The  Master  Builder. 

Quotations  Worth  Reading 

PERSONALITY. 

Society  is  waiting,  calling — earnestly,  anxiously — for  men  and 
women  of  broader  culture  and  nobler  nature — men  and  .women 
of  quick  intelligence,  of  enlightened  understanding,  of  large  heart 
and  generous  impulse,  to  take  these  little  ones  by  the  hand  and 
lead  them  into  the  pleasant  ways  of  wisdom,  virtue,  usefulness, 
and  happiness. 

—George  Howland. 

Survey  these  thickly  seated  benches.  Before  us  are  clustered 
the  children  of  to-day,  the  men  of  to-morrow,  the  immortals  of 
eternity !  What  costly  works  of  art,  what  splendid  galleries  of 
sculpture  or  of  painting,  won  by  a  nation's  arms,  or  purchased  by 
a  nation's  wealth,  are  comparable,  in  value,  to  the  treasures  we 
have  in  these  children? 

^Horace  Mann. 

Doing  the  best  always,  arouses  enthusiasm,  earnestness  and 
courage  on  the  part  of  the  doer.  It  stimulates  persistence  and 
opens  a  vista  of  better  things  before. 

—Francis  W  Parker. 


The  Teacher  jy 

SCHOLARSHIP. 

It  is  the  man  who  takes  in  who  can  give  out.  The  man  who 
does  not  do  the  one  soon  takes  to  spinning  his  own  fancies  out  of 
his  interior,  like  a  spider,  and  he  snares  himself  at  last  as  well  as 
his  victims. 

— Dr.  John  Brown. 

First  of  all,  the  teacher  must  be  a  scholar,  and  no  part  of  his 
professional  education  must  be  conducted  at  the  expense  of 
scholarship.  Under  scholarship  I  would  include  some  sensible 
degree  of  literary  culture,  one  indication  of  which  is  a  pronounced 
love  of  good  books. 

—  W.  H.  Payne. 

Going  to  his  class  so  full  of  the  sujbect,  that  were  the  text- 
book annihilated,  he  could  make  another  and  better  one — he  will 
have  no  difficulty  to  secure  attention. 

—David  P  Page. 

A  person  cannot  teach  a  rule  of  arithmetic  intelligently  without 
having  himself  mastered  many  advanced  rules.  Your  own  expe- 
rience, if  you  watch  it,  will  force  this  truth  upon  you. 

~/.  G.  Fitch. 

GROWTH. 

The  price  of  retaining  what  we  know  is  always  to  seek  to  know 
more.  We  preserve  our  learning  and  mental  power  only  by 
increasing  them. 

—Henry  Darling. 

We  are  put  here  to  grow,  and  we  ought  to  grow,  and  to  use  all 
means  of  growth  according  to  the  laws  of  our  being. 

— Edward  H,  Clarke. 

A  true  teacher  never  thinks  his  education  complete,  but  is 
always  seeking  to  add  to  his  own  knowledge.  The  moment  any 
man  ceases  to  be  a  systematic  student  he  ceases  to  be  an  effective 
teacher. 

— /.  G.  Fitch. 

SYMPA  THY. 

The  following  extracts  from  that  prince  of  English  school- 
masters, Edward  Thring,  will  bear  careful  study: 

A  teacher  is  a  combination  of  heart,  head,  artistic  training  and 
favoring  circumstances.  Like  all  other  high  arts,  life  must  have 
free  play  or  there  can  be  no  teaching. 

Noble  character  is  trained  by  noble  examples  of  life,  and  by 
honest  surroundings,  whether  in  word  or  deed.  The  highest 
beliefs  and  the  most  true  work  train  noble  character.  The 
teacher  must  have  high  beliefs,  and  be  allowed  to  teach  in  their 
spirit. 

If  all  the  bones  are  put  into  lessons,  and  all  the  loveliness,  the 
life,  the  feelings,  the  pleasure  flung  away,  no  one  need  wonder 
that  lessons  have  ill-luck. 


38 


Common  Sense  Didactics 


Light  up  the  magic  lantern  of  common  things. 

Yes,  gentlemen;  and  we  also,  in  doing  this,  have  discovered 
the  first  law  of  teaching,  the  first  article  of  the  teacher's  creed : 
work  from  the  inside  outwards. 

Any  fool  with  knowledge  can  pour  it  into  a  clever  boy ;  but  it 
needs  the  skilled  workman  to  be  able  to  teach. 


Questions  for  Examination 

1.  What  do  you  understand  by  the  word  sincerity? 

2.  What  importance  attaches  to  the  teacher's  personal  appear- 

ance''' 
J.  Why  should  the  teacher  refrain  from  continually  talking  of 

school  affairs  in  public? 
4.  What  is  said  of  common  honesty? 
J.  How  much  and  what  should  the  teacher  read? 

6.  Distinguish  two  ways  of  studying  a  lesson. 

7.  How  may  a  teacher  hope  to  keep  out  of  the  ruts? 

8.  With  what  end  in  view  should  a  teacher  read  books  and 

papers? 

9.  What  is  it  to  be  a  man  of  integrity? 

JO.  What  is  the  effect  upon  the  teacher  of  the  habit  of  worry- 
ing?   What  is  it  to  worry? 


Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

/.  Who  was  George  Rowland? 

2.  A  teacher  in  a  school  paying  $600  per  year  received  one 
Friday  an  offer  of  a  school  in  a  neighboring  city  at  a  salary 
of  §1,000,  but  he  must  take  the  position,  if  at  all,  on  the 
following  Monday.  What  was  the  right  course  for  him 
to  follow? 

j».  What  is  a  reasonable  amount  of  recreation? 

4.  Who  was  Socrates? 

5.  What  is  meant  by  the  Socratic  method  of  instruction? 


CHAPTER  III 

PREPARATION    FOR  TEACHING 

Putting  on  the  Armor 

But  evil  is  wrought 

By  want  of  thought, 

As  well  as  want  of  heart 

— Thomas  Hood. 

If  not  to-day,  then  on  some  far  future  day,  you  will  answer 

some  questions   differently  by  reason  of  what  you  are  thinking 

now. 

—  William  Ja  mes. 

The  human  racer  cannot  possibly  do  his  work  as  such  if  he  is 
tied  down  to  one  place,  pressed  by  one  dull,  unchanging  routine, 
and  perpetually  in  conflict  with  sordid  cares. 

—Edward  Thring. 

Other  things  being  equal,  the  best  work  will  be  done  by  those 
having  the  best  means  of  doing  it ;  the  best  furrowing  by  the  best 
plow,  the  best  weaving  by  the  best  loom,  the  best  sailing  by  the 
best  boat, 

—Addison  Ballard. 

IN  ANY  calling  the  best  work  is  done  by  the  best 
thinkers.     Whether  the  man  is  an  artisan  or  an 
artist;   whether  he    is   engaged    in    a   pro- 
fession    or   follows  a   trade,  the    root  and  ^ 

origin  of  his  success  is  the  amount  of  thought  which 
he  puts  into  his  work. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  here  to  define  thought  or  to 
trace  the  process  of  thinking.  To  do  this  and  to  sug- 
gest methods  of  developing  the  power  of  thought  in 
the  child  would  require  an  entire  volume. 

I  take  it  for  granted  that  the  teacher  who  reads  this 
book  is  a  thoughtful  person.  If  you  are  not,  then  you 
ought  not  to  be  a  teacher.  There  is  no  other  profes- 
sion or  vocation  which  calls  for  such  careful  pains- 

39 


40  Common    Sense   Didactics 

taking  thought  as  that  in  which  you  are  engaged.  The 
end  is  worth  the  exertion.  Joseph  Hall  writes:  "The 
fuller  treads  upon  that  cloth  which  he  means  to  whiten, 
and  he  that  would  see  the  stars  by  day  must  not  climb 
up  into  some  high  mountain,  but  must  descend  to  the 
lower  cells  of  the  earth." 

The  mistakes  which  the  carpenter  or  the  blacksmith 
makes  can  be  repaired;  or  the  material,  if  spoiled,  can 
be  replaced.  It  is  not  so  in  teaching.  Every  mistake 
J.      ,.  here  is  lasting,  and   its   effects  cannot  be 

has  lasting  eradicated.  The  wound  may  heal,  but  the 
results.  g^,^j.  ^ju  remain.     No  dependence  can  be 

placed  upon  a  thoughtless  teacher.  Chance,  a  run  of 
good  luck,  may  carry  such  a  teacher  through  a  term 
or  a  year,  but  such  teaching  has  no  fruition  in  the 
lives  of  pupils.  Like  the  ship  under  ballast,  it  reaches 
the  port  but  it  brings  no  cargo. 

We  are  apt  to  praise  that  which  is  practical,  and  to 
sneer  at  the  theoretical.  Yet  theory  has  its  value. 
The  thoughts  which  are  in  the  mind  now  may  write 
lines  which  we  shall  read  with  profit  in  future  years. 
Our  actions  to-day,  more  often  than  we  realize,  are 
determined  by  the  thoughts  of  yesterday.  In  the 
school,  as  in  business,  action  which  is  not  based  upon 
thought  and  reason  is  exceedingly  hazardous. 

I  am  desirous  to  have  you  read  these  chapters  in  a 
thoughtful,  receptive  spirit.  Some  quotations  will  be 
given  you  which  are  worth  committing  to  heart. 
Many  of  the  suggestions  you  will  find  are  not  new,  and 
yet  they  will  perhaps  be  all  the  more  weighty  because 
they  are  old  and  well  seasoned. 

The  teacher  should  not  undervalue  knowledge.  It 
has  its  appropriate  place  and  use  in  your  equipment. 
Not    only  is  the   possession  of  it  desirable,  but   the 


Preparatio7i  for   Te aching  41 

habits  of  application  and  the  discipline  of  mind  which 
come  through  its  acquirement  will  aid  you  in  your 
work  in  the  school.  Cultivate  a  close  friendship  with 
wisdom,  "and  with  all  thy  getting  get  knowledge. 
understanding."  However,  it  is  not  the 
amount  of  knowledge  which  the  teacher  possesses,  but 
the  ability  so  to  impart  knowledge  to  his  pupils  as  to 
arouse  self-activity  of  mind  and  induce  growth,  which 
counts  for  success  in  the  schoolroom. 

I  have  already  said  that  knowledge  is  not  power. 
(See  page  16.)  It  is  only  applied  knowledge  which  is 
power.  The  man  on  the  huge  locomotive  is  more 
powerful  than  the  man  driving  the  ox  cart,  only 
because  he  has  more  resources  at  his  command  and 
knows  how  to  use  them.  The  best  teacher  is  the  man 
or  woman  who  is  most  thoroughly  alive  to  the  needs 
of  the  present  hour.  Not  "What  shall  I  do  next,''  but 
"What  shall  I  do  now,''  is  the  question  which  meets  us 
at  every  turn  in  life.  The  past  counsels,  the  future 
incites,  but  the  present  is  imperative. 

A  block   of  granite  weighing  thirty  tons    must  be 
lifted  to  its  place  in  the  monument.     All  other  work 
must  stop  until  this  is  done.    The  skillful  engineer  plans 
the  great  trestle-work,  a  hundred  feet  in  height.     The 
workmen  brace  it  on  every  side.     On  the  top  is  a  little 
dummy   engine   fitted    to    do   its   master's  ^^^//^^. 
bidding.     The  engineer  lets  down  a  great  tiott  of 
block    of    pulleys    which     the    men    below  knowledge. 
fasten  to  a  hook  in  the  very  center  of  the  block.   Then 
the   little   engine  begins  to   throw  out  quick  puffs  of 
steam,  like  the  labored  breathing  of  a  man  lifting  a 
heavy  load.     The  ropes    shorten,  the   heavy  mass  of 
stone  goes  up,  inch  by  inch,  slowly  but  surely,  until  it 
reaches  the  required  level.     The  engine  travels  back- 


42  Commo?iSe?ise  Didactics 

ward  along  its  track,  halts  at  the  direction  of  its  master, 
and  deposits  the  granite  on  the  place  designed  for 
it  as  easily  as  one  can  lift  a  book  to  its  place  on  the 
shelf.  It  accomplishes  in  an  hour  the  work  which  a 
hundred  men  could  not  accomplish  in  a  week. 

Notice  here  the  intelligent  application  of  knowledge 
at  every  step  to  produce  the  desired  result.  From  the 
day  the  granite  is  lifted  from  its  bed  in  the  quarry  until 
it  finds  its  position  in  the  monument,  there  is  evi- 
dence of  that  power  and  skill  which  must  accom- 
pany knowledge  in  order  that  it  may  be  employed 
for   some  useful  purpose. 

A  man  may  possess  a  multitude  of  precious  stones 
and  rare  gems,  but  if  there  is  no  market  for  them  he 
will  go  hungry  and  naked  despite  his  store.  So, 
though  a  man  possess  all  knowledge  and  all  wisdom, 
still  his  life  maybe  only  a  blank  page  in  the  history  of 
his  times.  Unless  you  can  link  your  knowledge  to  the 
wants  of  men,  or  use  it  to  make  existence  more 
endurable  for  others,  you  may  about  as  well  not  have  it. 
It  is  your  business  to  hold  up  before  your  pupils  the 
worth  of  knowledge  as  a  means  of  usefulness  and 
power  in  the  world  of  matter,  as  well  as  in  the  spiritual 
world. 

Discipline  of  mind  comes  through  close  application. 
That  knowledge  is  most  valuable  which  it  costs  us 
some  effort  to  gain.  The  close  student  does  not 
always  succeed  as  a  teacher,  but  the  real  teacher  is 
always  a  student  and  a  close  observer.     (See  page  zz) 

Knowledge  has  a  practical  value.  The  alphabet  is 
the  basis  of  all  knowledge.  The  multiplication  table  is 
at  the  foundation  of  all  mathematics.  Facts,  hard 
and  dry,  as  we  sometimes  term  them,  are  the  founda- 
tion of  all  thought.     There  can  be  no  reasoning  with- 


Preparatio7ifor   Teaching  4j 

out  some  fact  as  the  basis  upon  which  to  build.     The 
greatest  teachers  the  world  has  ever  known  have  been 
men    and   women    who    have    trained    the  practical 
memory  to  retain  facts  and   to  reproduce  i^cil^^e  of 
them  as  facts  when  the  future  needs  them.    ''^^^^  ^  ^^' 

Do  not  be  afraid  of  a  fact  because  some  one  discov- 
ered or  demonstrated  it  before  you  were  born.  The 
accumulated  knowledge  of  the  world  is  at  your 
disposal,  and  out  of  this  mass  you  are  to  select  some 
things  which  the  pupil  will  need  in  active  life,  and 
other  things  which  will  incite  him  to  the  greatest  effort 
of  which  his  nature  is  capable. 

The  pupil  goes  to  school  to  obtain  knowledge.  It  is 
likely  to  be  the  fault  of  the  teacher  if  the  pupil  fails. 
If,  on  the  other  hand,  knowledge  is  all  the  pupil  gains, 
then  his  schooling  is  deficient  at  a  vital  point,  because 
knowledge  which  is  unproductive  of  thought  is  like  the 
dead  tree,  bearing  neither  fruit  nor  foliage. 

If  the   man   on   the   platform   states  as  a  fact  that 

which  you  know  is  not  true,  by  so  much  you  are  the 

better  man  of  the  two.     If  you  state  to  your  pupils 

that  which  purports  to  be  a  fact  or  truth  in 

history  or  science,  and  afterward  they  dis-  P^^S^^  ^f 
■^  '  .         -^  Ignorance. 

cover  that   you  have  made  a  mistake,   by 

just  so  much  have  you  lost  your  hold  upon  the  class. 
In  short,  as  you  have  gained  a  knowledge  of  facts 
from  books,  or  from  your  own  experience,  so  it  is 
your  business  to  impart  these  facts  to  others.  More 
than  this,  as  you  have  accepted  a  large  part  of  your 
knowledge  from  others  without  demonstration  or  ques- 
tion, your  pupils  should  accept  as  much  from  you  in 
the  same  spirit.  But  it  is  always  dangerous  for  a 
teacher  to  display  his  ignorance  in  the  presence  of 
his  class. 


44  Conimo 71   Sense  Didactic s 

I  say  without  hesitation  to  those  who  read  this 
chapter  that  the  child  comes  to  you  to  be  informed, 
and  that  it  is  your  business  to  see  that  when  he  leaves 
your  tuition  he  has  such  an  accumulation  of  knowledge 
as  will  aid  him  in  maintaining  his  self-respect  in  any 
walk  of  life,  whether  it  be  the  lowest  or  the  highest. 

The  teacher  must  carefully  observe  the  distinction 
between  character  and  reputation;  between  what,  in 
Character  ^^^  inner  consciousness,  he  knows  himself  to 
and  repu-  be,  and  that  which  he  seems  to  others  to 
tation.  }^^      Character  concerns  the  heart  and  the 

life  of  the  teacher  as  a  permanent  force  in  his  work. 

The  chief  aim  of  the  school  is  not  character  building, 
but  character  growth.  You  can  no  more  build  character 
than  you  can  build  a  tree.  When  you  attempt  through 
any  scheme  of  ethics  to  form  character  for  the  child  you 
weaken  his  moral  nature.  Here,  as  everywhere,  it  is 
what  the  child  does  for  himself  that  gives  him  strength. 

We  send  the  child  out  of  school  into  life,  as  we 
think,  well  furnished  for  all  good  works.  We  have 
buttressed  him  about  with  maxims  and  precepts  and 
sermons.  We  have  required  him  to  learn  the  choicest 
extracts  from  ancient  and  modern  literature,  and  even 
from  holy  writ.  And  when  the  hour  of  temptation 
comes  he  fails  to  stand  the  test.  His  reputation  is 
ruined,  his  standing  in  society  slips  from  under  him, 
his  character  falls  like  the  house  built  upon  the  sand. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  discern  the  reason.  His  parents, 
his  teachers  attempted  to  build  his  character  for  him. 
The  inward  work  of  character  growth,  whereby  his 
character  and  his  reputation  become  inseparable,  was 
wholly  wanting.  This  is  one  of  the  most  serious  mis- 
takes which  the  teacher  can  possibly  make.  In  many 
cases  it  is  fatal  to  right  living. 


Pre  par  a  ti  071   -for   Te  aching  4^ 

Some  one  says :  "Conduct  is  two-thirds  of  life."  He 
is  wrong;  conduct  is  all  of  life.  It  is  the  stream  by 
whose  waters  we  may  judge  the  purity  of  the  hidden 
springs  from  which  it  flows. 

Character  grows  through  every  exertion  of  the  will 
and  every  impulse  of  the  conscience.  Right  thoughts, 
right  motives,  right  actions, — these  furnish  material  for 
growth  of  character,  as  the  soil,  the  air,  the  sunlight 
are  necessary  to  the  growth  of  the  tree.  These  things 
are  as  essential  to  the  teacher  as  to  the  pupil. 

But  character  is  altogether  another  thing  from  repu- 
tation.    The  former  is  what  the  man  really      ^, 

•    •      ,  ,  .  .iTTT,  Character 

is;  it  IS  the  answer  to  the  question:      What      vs.  repu- 

am  I  in  the  light  of  eternity?"     The  latter      ^'^*'^'^' 
is  what  others  think  and  say  of  him;  what  the  world 
estimates  him  to  be. 

The  reputation  of  the  teacher  is  of  great  value  both 
to  him  and  to  the  school.  It  should  be  carefully 
guarded.  He  should  take  great  pains  that  it  receive 
neither  blot  nor  blemish.  It  is  not  a  cowardly  excuse 
for  a  teacher  to  say,  "I  cannot  because  it  will  injure 
my  reputation." 

Character,  however,  is  a  part  of  a  man's  individu- 
ality; it  is  the  man  himself.  Knowledge  ministers  to 
it;  principles  of  right  action  underlie  it;  the  will 
strengthens  it.  Character  is  the  outward  development 
of  the  inner  life  of  the  man.  Some  one  says:  "Repu- 
tation is  what  men  and  women  think  of  us.  Character 
is  what  God  and  the  angels  know  of  us." 

Still,  it  is  your  duty  to  guard  your  reputation  with 
the  greatest  care.  Give  no  one  any  occasion  to  speak 
evil  of  you.  As  the  little  foxes  eat  up  the  vines,  so 
little  indiscretions,  careless  expressions,  thoughtless 
actions  destroy  the  reputation  of  the  teacher. 


46  Commo?i   Sense  Didactics 

The  reflex  influence  of  the  teacher's  reputation,  as  it 
affects  the  pupils  in  the  school,  is  often  very  marked. 
The  great  strength  of  the  word  "ought"  must  be  made 
a  power  first  in  your  own  life,  and  then  in  the  life  of 
the  pupil.  "I  ought  to  do  this;  I  ought  7iot  to  do  that"  ; 
these  words  convey  a  world  of  meaning. 

It  is  always  well  to  consider:  "What  influence  will 
this  proposed  action  have  upon  my  pupils?"  There  is 
only  one  conclusion  which  a  conscientious  teacher  can 
reach.  "If  it  will  injure  my  reputation  in  this  commu- 
nity, and  thus  weaken  my  influence  over  the  school,  I 
ought  not  to  do  it."  This  is  a  golden  rule — only 
remember  in  every  doubtful  case  to  keep  on  the  safe 
side.  (See  page  27.) 

In  all  things  cherish  a  feeling  of  humanity  toward 
your  pupils.  Their  failings,  their  faults,  their  short- 
comings are  those  usually  incidental  to  child 
wititu^/ils  "^^'J^^'  which  is  only  human  nature  in  its 
purest  form.  Sympathy  is  a  strong  bond 
between  teacher  and  pupil.  Sympathy  begets  sympa- 
thy, and  thus  lightens  the  daily  toil  of  the  school. 

More  even  than  this:  while  you  are  sorry  for  their 
failures  you  should  be  equally  ready  to  rejoice  in  their 
success.  When  you  say  to  a  pupil,  "I  am  sorry  you 
failed,  try  it  again,"  your  sympathy  is  an  encourage- 
ment. When  you  say  to  another,  "You  have  done 
well;  that  is  an  improvement,"  then  your  sympathy  is 
a  stimulant  to  yet  greater  exertions.  This  was  Dr. 
Arnold's  strong  hold  upon  his  pupils.  Read  what  one 
of  his  pupils  says  of  him  at  the  close  of  this  chapter. 

Emerson  says  that  the  only  way  to  have  a  friend  is 
to  be  one.  So  the  only  way  to  gain  the  sympathy  of 
your  pupils  is  to  give  them  yours.  Assure  them,  not 
by  your  words  alone,  but  by  your  actions,  that  you 


Pr ep aratioii  for   Teachi?ig  4y 

have  an  abiding  interest  in  their  welfare;  in  their  games 
as  well  as  in  their  studies;  in  their  life  at  home  as  well 
as  at  school.  Hannah  More  says  that  she  has  never 
met  a  boy,  and  she  has  known  many,  who  would  be 
rude  and  disrespectful  to  a  teacher  openly  and  patiently 
seeking  to  do  him  good.  Indifference  on  the  part  of 
the  teacher  breeds  contempt  on  the  part  of  the  pupil. 

"If  the  pupil  fails  to-day  and  I  help  him,  and  he 
fails  again  to-morrow  and  next  day,  how  long  shall  I 
stay  by  him?"  Just  so  long  as  he  is  your  pupil.  If 
you  give  up  before  he  does  you  are  a  cowardly  teacher. 

Consider  for  a  moment  what  it  is  to  come  into  heart 
contact  with  your  pupils.  Thus  only  can  you  entei 
into  their  lives,  know  their  motives,  understand  their 
impulses  and  influence  their  actions.  It  is  not  so  much 
to  live  for  the  pupil  as  it  is  to  live  with  him;  not  so 
much  to  control  him  by  your  strong  will  as  to  lead  him 
by  your  example.  Study  to  know  the  child  as  you 
know  yourself.  Give  him  your  sympathy  in  his 
troubles,  your  help  in  his  difficulties,  and  your  wise 
counsel  in  temptation.  It  is  unreasonable  to  expect 
the  child  to  be  any  wiser  or  better  than  you  are  your- 
self. 

You  are  not  to  forget,  however,  that  the  purpose  of 
education  is  to  enable  the  pupil  to  become  in  the  end 
independent  of  his  teacher,  so  that  growth 
may   continue    when    school    is    finished,      ence  the 
By  all  means  avoid  that  weakly,  sentimen-     purpose  of 
tal  kind  of  sympathy  which  spends  itself 
in    pity    and    caresses,    but    imparts    no    stimulating 
power  or  force.      Sympathy  must  not  antagonize  the 
will;  rather  it  should  reenforce  it.     It  must  be  healthy, 
wholesome  and  helpful.     After  all,  apply  to  the  child 
what  Thoreau  says:     "You  cannot  dream  yourself  into 


48  Common   Sense  Didactics 

a  character;  you  must  hammer  and  forge  yourself  one." 
Charles  Kingsley  writes: 

Be  good,  sweet  maid,  and  let  who  will  be  clever ; 

Do  noble  things,  not  dream  them  all  day  long ; 
And  so  make  life,  death,  and  that  vast  forever, 

One  grand  sweet  song. 

You  have  days  when  you  are  moody,  perhaps  irri- 
table; so  has  the  child.  There  are  times  with  you 
when  you  are  discouraged,  and  when  things  in  general 
go  wrong — "off  days"  you  call  them.  The 
allowances,  child  has  his  "off  days,"  and  some  allow- 
ance must  be  made  for  it  by  his  teacher. 
Strive  to  interest  him  in  whatever  conduces  to  the 
welfare  of  the  school.  Throw  some  responsibility  upon 
him  and  hold  him  to  answer  for  results.  Take  him 
into  partnership,  as  it  were,  and  while  you  retain  the 
position  as  senior  partner  consult  with  him  and  estab- 
lish a  mutual  interest.  An  old  Latin  author  says: 
"I  think  nothing  foreign  to  me  which  concerns  human- 
ity." The  teacher,  in  the  same  spirit,  should  be  able 
to  say:  "I  think  nothing  foreign  to  me  which  concerns 
any  pupil  in  my  school." 

Burke,  in  one  of  his  speeches,  says:  "My  rigor 
relents,  I  pardon  something  to  the  spirit  of  liberty." 
Why  may  not  the  teacher  sometimes  say:  "My  rigor 
relents,  I  pardon  much  to  the  spirit  of  childhood." 
Childhood  should  be  made  as  happy  as  possible. 
Obedience  and  attention  to  lessons  should  be  exacted, 
but  not  with  frowns  and  scolding  tones.  Smiles  and 
pleasant  greetings  and  loving  words  will  win  the  heart 
and  soul,  and  these  are  the  best  weapons  that  the 
teacher  has  against  the  little  annoyances  which 
children  so  often  thoughtlessly  occasion. 


Preparation  for    Teaching  4g 

One  element  of  success,  the  power  of  adapting  one's 
self  to  the  situation,  must  not  be  passed  unnoticed. 
A  weak  teacher  is  controlled  or  over-awed  Adapta- 
by  circumstances,   and  consequently  fails.  Mlity. 

A  strong  person  controls  them,  and  makes  of  them 
stepping-stones  for  parsing  over  difficult  places. 
Emergencies  test  the  teacher.  The  power  to  meet 
them  successfully  is  the  sure  criterion  of  skill. 

The  unexpected  is  always  happening,  and  the  school 
affords  no  exception  to  the  general  rule.  A  blunder 
may  be  disastrous,  and  in  an  instant  undo  the  work  of 
months.  It  is  no  excuse  to  say,  'T  did  not  have  time 
to  think."  You  can  do  an  immense  amount  of  think- 
ing in  a  moment's  space.  Coolness,  self-possession,  is 
nine-tenths  of  the  battle. 

Remember  also  that  every  school  has  an  individu- 
ality of  its  own,  depending  largely  upon  its  environ- 
ments. Different  communities  place  different  estimates 
upon  the  teacher's  work.  In  one  district  the  teacher 
is  appreciated;  in  another  she  is  left  alone;  and  in 
another  she  is  opposed  and  hindered  in  her  work  more 
frequently  by  the  parents  than  by  the  pupils. 

Hence  a  teacher  who  succeeds  in  one  school  may 
utterly  fail  in  another  because  he  is  not  able  to  con- 
form his  measures  and  his  school  policy  to  the  sur- 
rounding circumstances.  Backbone  is  a  most  excellent 
characteristic  in  a  teacher,  but  even  backbones  must 
sometimes  bend,  and  often  it  is  better  to  bend  than  to 
break.  There  is  something  worth  considering  in  what 
we  term  the  "eternal  fitness  of  things." 

Give  much  thought  to  the  individuality  of  the 
school;  to  the  conditions  which  control  it.  The 
teacher  who  endeavors  to  know  the  past  history  of  the 
school    will    find    some    points    which   will   serve   as  a 

4 


^o  Commo?i   Seiise   Didac tic s 

guide  in  avoiding  trouble.  Talk  but  little,  ask  few 
questions,  think  carefully,  observe  closely,  and  act 
without  timidity  or  hesitation  when  it  is  time  to  act. 

After  thoroughly  considering  all  the  surroundings  of 
the  school,  the  character  of  the  people  of  the  district, 
the  attainments  and  dispositions  of  the  scholars,  then 
the  question  to  be  decided  upon  is  not  "What  did  I 
do  in  my  last  school?"  but,  "What  is  the  best  and  most 
sensible  course  to  be  taken  with  the  school  which  I 
now  have  in  hand?" 

You  may  find  it  impossible  to  bring  everything  in 
every  school  up  to  your  ideal  standard.  Having  done 
Ideal  your  best,   you   will    be    a    happier   and   a 

standard  better  teacher  when  you  learn  to  be  con- 
always  be  tented  with  that.  There  are  teachers  who 
attained.  are  never  happy  unless  they  have  some- 
thing over  which  they  can  worry.  Take  things  as  you 
find  them,  and  before  you  leave  them  make  them  as 
much  better  as  you  can. 

Common  sense,  practical  sense,  is  of  great  service  to 
the  teacher.  The  ability  to  look  ahead  and  forsee  the 
evil  in  season  to  avoid  it,  requires  thought  and  judg- 
ment, quick  reasoning  and  clear  insight  into  the  drift 
of  affairs,  and  it  is  a  talent  worth  cultivating. 

Emerson  says  that  every  day  is  a  crisis  in  one's  life. 
The  power  to  meet  that  crisis  so  that  it  may  inure  to 
his  benefit  constitutes  success.  Every  day  brings  the 
teacher  face  to  face  with  some  crisis  in  the  school- 
room, either  of  discipline  or  instruction,  and  he  needs 
always  to  be  ready  to  meet  it. 

Allow  me  to  say  a  word  here  upon  a  much  vexed 
subject.  Don't  contract  to  teach  a  school  unless  you 
have  reason  to  believe  that  you  can  adapt  yourself  to 
all  the  circumstances  surrounding  it.     Take  with  you  a 


Preparatio7i  for   Teaching  5/ 

spirit  of  self-sacrifice,  if  thereby  you  can  benefit  your 
pupils. 

Employ  the  gift  thou  hast, 

Whate'er  it  be,  with  greatest  care. 
And  this  endeavor  shall  not  be  the  last ; 

Each  good  performed,  another  shall  prepare. 

It  is  the  director's  duty  and  business  to  investigate 
as  to  your  character,  education  and  ability  before  he 
offers  to  contract  with  you.  It  is  your  business  and 
privilege  to  investigate  the  conditions  which  you  will 
have  to  meet  in  the  discharge  of  your  duties  before 
you  sign  the  contract.  This  is  more  than  a  privilege; 
it  is  a  duty  which  you  owe  to  yourself.  If  you  feel 
that  it  is  questionable  whether  you  can  adapt  yourself 
to  the  school,  the  people,  the  requirements,  you  run 
the  risk  of  a  disastrous  failure  in  accepting  the  posi- 
tion. 

A   careful   observance   of  the   laws   which   promote 
personal  health,  and  also  of  such  general  laws  of  sanita- 
tion   as    concerns    the   school   and   its   sur- 
roundings,   must   be    kept    continually   in 
mind.     Neglect  to  do  this  is  criminal. 

There  is  nothing  more  essential  to  your  success  than 
a  strong  body,  as  free  as  possible  from  aches,  pains 
and  weakness.  With  the  senses  well  developed  and 
the  bodily  organs  in  good  working  order,  teaching  is  a 
joy  and  a  pleasure.  When  the  reverse  is  true  the 
school  hours  drag;  there  is  no  energy  nor  enthusiasm 
in  the  work,  and  the  process  of  teaching  becomes  a 
drudgery.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  says:  "The  weari- 
ness of  instruction  which  comes  to  a  teacher  whose 
faculties  have  been  overworked  and  exhausted  can  be 
known  only  to  one  who  has  experienced  it." 


^2  Contmo 71   Sense   Didactic s 

There  is  no  more  pitiable  sight  in  the  world  than  a 
school  of  bright,  active,  intelligent  children,  who  love 
fun,  in  charge  of  a  nervous,  dyspeptic,  head-aching 
teacher,  despondent  and  gloomy,  who  looks  upon  the 
child  as  an  untrained  savage  and  punishes  every 
childish  prank  as  a  crime.  Keep  in  mind  these  words 
which  Coleridge  wrote: 

O'er  wayward  childhood  wouldst  thou  hold  firm  rule, 
And  sun  thee  in  the  light  of  happy  faces, 
Love,  hope  and  patience,  let  these  be  thy  graces, 
And  in  thine  own  heart  let  them  first  keep  school. 

The  duties  of  the  school  are  enervating.  They  are 
the  more  so  because  they  are  performed  under 
unfavorable  circumstances.  The  atmosphere  of  the 
schoolroom,  even  when  the  most  approved  means  of 
ventilation  are  resorted  to,  will  become  more  or  less 
vitiated.  In  the  ordinary  schoolroom,  although  the 
windows  are  occasionally  opened,  the  air,  after  the 
first  hour  of  each  session  is  positively  poisonous.  (See 
page  55.) 

If  you  would  enjoy  your  work  take  daily  and  vigor- 
ous exercise  in  the  open  air.  Avoid  the  pernicious 
habit  of  being  in  the  schoolroom  at  eight 
P^^J}'I^^(^^^  every  morning  to  prepare  the  day's  work, 
and  of  remaining  till  five  at  night  to  have 
pupils  make  up  their  lessons.  This  is  a  habit  into 
which  teachers  fall,  but  it  is  a  wicked  habit.  Concern- 
ing a  school  in  which  it  is  the  custom  to  keep  children 
after  school  to  make  up  lessons,  one  of  two  things  is 
true:  either  the  lessons  are  too  long,  or  else  the  pupils 
are  idle  and  allowed  to  play  when  they  ought  to  be  at 
work. 

Equally  injurious  and  wearing  is  the  habit  of  taking 
a  mass  of  school  work  home,  papers  to  look  over  and 


Preparation  for    Teaching  jj 

correct,  enough  to  keep  you  busy  until  after  you  ought 
to  be  in  bed.  You  wake  in  the  morning  tired,  you  go 
to  school  irritable  and  peevish,  and  before  night 
comes  you  are  positively  cross.  You  should  take  time 
for  reasonable,  healthful  recreation  if  you  desire  to  be 
fresh  and  vigorous  for  your  work.  Observe  these  three 
points:  Exercise,  sleep  and  diet.  They  are  abso- 
lutely vital  to  your  usefulness  in  school.  (See  page  29.) 
Dryden  says: 

Better  to  hunt  in  fields  for  health  unbought, 
Than  call  the  doctor  for  a  nauseous  draught. 
The  wise  for  cure  on  exercise  depend; 
God  never  made  his  work  for  man  to  mend. 

The  problem  of  complete  physical  being  is  not  easily 
solved,  and  none  but  general  laws  can  be  laid  down. 
You  must  study  your  muscular  and  nervous  organiza- 
tion, and  adapt  your  methods  of  living  to  your  own 
peculiar  needs.  To  be  able  to  do  each  day's  work 
with  the  least  waste  of  energy,  and  to  come  to  the  end 
of  the  day,  the  week,  the  term,  the  year  even,  without 
a  sense  of  prostration,  of  breaking  down  of  body  and 
mind,  should  be  your  aim. 

One  thing  more.  The  presence  of  a  strong,  active, 
vigorous  man  or  woman  in  the  teacher's  place  reacts 
upon  pupils  and  aids  materially  in  their  physical  devel- 
opment. It  is  your  duty  to  keep  well,  to  observe  the 
laws  of  health,  and  in  all  this  to  be  an  example  to  your 
pupils. 

You  will  attain  the  success  you  so  much  desire  by 
careful  attention  to  details  in 

Putting  on  the  Armor. 


^4  Common   Sense  Didactic s 

Quotations  Worth  Reading 

THOUGHT. 

All  ye  who  possess  the  power  of  thought,  prize  it  well! 
Remember  that  its  flight  is  infinite;  it  winds  about  over  so  many- 
mountain  tops,  and  so  runs  from  poetry  to  eloquence,  it  so  flies  from 
star  to  star,  it  so  dreams,  so  loves,  so  aspires,  so  hangs  both  over 
mystery  and  fact,  that  we  may  well  call  it  the  effort  of  man  to 
explore  the  home,  the  infinite  palace  of  his  heavenly  Father. 

— Swing- 
KNOWLEDGE. 

Knowledge  is  the  food  of  the  mind.  And  as  food  may  overload 
and  enfeeble  the  body,  and  is  to  be  received  only  as  there  is  a 
capacity  of  digestion  and  assimilation,  and  ultimate  reference  to 
action,  so  knowledge  may  overload  and  enfeeble  the  mind,  and 
should  be  received  only  as  it  can  be  reflected  on  and  arranged, 
and  so  incorporated  into  our  mental  being  as  to  give  us  power  for 
action. 

—Ja  mesjohon  not. 
CHARACTER  AND  REPUTATION. 

One  is  apt  to  forget  that  when  we  speak  of  anything  or  anybody 
as  good,  we  have  no  absolute  standard,  and  speak  only  by  some 
comparison  often  made  unconsciously.  The  very  best  man  we 
know  we  should  probably  consider  a  very  indifferent  angel.  This 
latent  comparison  lurks  under  all  adjectives.  It  has  occurred  to 
me  that  our  estimate  of  ourselves  often  differs  from  other  people's 
estimate  of  us,  because  we  compare  ourselves  with  those  only  who 
are  much  in  our  minds,  and  the  same  persons  are  not  likely  to  be 
much  in  the  minds  of  others. 

—R.  H.  Quick. 
SYMPA  THY. 

Froebel's  real  "gift,"  infinitely  more  valuable  than  the  cylin- 
der, the  sphere  and  the  cube,  is  the  love  for  childhood  that  his 
ardent  zeal  has  inspired  in  the  hearts  of  his  disciples.  The  power 
of  the  kindergarten,  as  it  seems  to  me,  lies  in  the  fact  that  the 
teacher,  so  to  speak,  now  listens  to  the  heart-beats  of  the  little 
child. 

—  W.  H.  Payne. 

Directly  our  sympathetic  emotions  fail  to  affect  us  toward 
action,  and.  we  are  content  to  have  our  feelings  stirred  without 
making  any  effort  in  behalf  of  the  distress  of  others,  our  sympathy 
degenerates  into  mere  sentimentality.  We  should  do  our  best  to 
prevent  this  degeneration  in  the  case  of  children. 

Joseph  Landon. 

Hence  each  pupil  felt  assured  of  Arnold's  sympathy  in  his  own 
particular  growth  and  character  of  talent ;  in  striving  to  cultivate 


Pre  par  atio7i  for   Teaching  §^ 

his  own  gifts,  in  whatever  direction  they  might  lead  him,  he 
infalhbly  found  Arnold  not  only  approving,  but  positively  and 
sincerely  valuing  for  themselves,  the  results  he  had  arrived  at, 
and  that  approbation  and  esteem  gave  a  dignity  and  a  worth  both 
to  himself  and  his  labor. 

— Price  (a  pupil  of  Arnold's.) 

ADAPTABILITY. 

It  is  a  good  thing  for  the  teacher  to  be  able  to  understand 
people,  to  read  their  character  and  to  put  a  right  construction 
upon  their  actions.  Going  among  entire  strangers,  for  the  time 
being  the  center  of  observation  and  criticism,  cordial  manners, 
frankness  and  honesty  will  win  their  good-will  where  the  opposite 
of  these  will  create  distrust  and  antagonism.  The  power  to  adapt 
one's  self  to  conditions  is  always  the  key  to  success. 

— From  an  old  author. 

HEALTH. 

It  is  a  teacher's  obvious  duty  to  be  in  good  health.  Petulance 
of  temper,  a  "jaundiced"  view  of  venial  facts,  forgetfulness  of 
one's  own  youth  and  youthful  failings,  impatience  in  expecting 
rapid  mental  operations  in  immature  minds, — all  these  and  the  like 
faults  may  spring  out  of  small  malaises,  but  develop  into  habitual 
ill-temper.  We  must,  therefore,  observe  the  simple  rules  of 
hygiene  in  our  own  persons  as  we  would  keep  tools  of  precision  in 
perfect  order.  Over  strain  and  over  fatigue  are  bad  for  both  body 
and  mind.  One  of  the  first  conditions  of  cheerfulness  of  soul  is 
soundness  of  body. 

—P.  A.  Barnett. 

A  teacher  who  enters  her  school  in  the  morning  light-hearted, 
teaches  joyously  all  day,  and  then,  locking  all  care  inside,  goes 
away  to  prepare  herself  for  to-morrow's  teaching,  is  not  likely  to 
suffer  in  health  because  of  her  occupation,  provided,  of  course, 
she  teaches  in  a  properly  ventilated  room  and  takes  necessary 
recreation  and  out-door  exercise. 

— Emerson  E.  White. 

One  impulse  from  a  vernal  wood 
May  teach  you  more  of  man, 
Of  moral  evil  and  of  good, 
Than  all  the  sages  can. 

—  William  Wordsworth. 

Keep  out  in  the  open  air  as  much  as  possible.  Upon  this  I 
place  especial  emphasis.  Live  in  the  open;  see  God's  great 
world;  get  away  from  this  confinement  within  walls  and  these 
books.  When  in  touch  with  nature  you  are  in  tune  with  the 
infinite,  holding  silent  communion  with  the  Creator. 

—Edward  Everett  Hale. 


S6  Common   Sense    Didactics 

Questions  for  Examination 

/.  State  briefly  what  is  said  of  the  first  fundamental  qualifi- 
cations. 

2.  What  is  said  of  facts  as  of  the  basis  of  thought? 
J.  What  constitutes  the  teacher's  reputation? 
4.  What  is  the  practical  value  of  sympathy? 
J.  What  is  intended    by  adaptability  as  used    in  this  con- 
nection? 

6.  In  what  sense  is  Emerson's  saying  true,  "Every  day  is  a 

crisis  in  a  man's  life"? 

7.  Before  you  make  a  contract  to  teach  a  school,  what  circum- 

stances should  you  investigate  with  care? 

8.  Under  what  circumstances  would  it  be  wise  to  refuse  a 

school  which  is  offered  you? 

9.  Consider  with  care  what  is  said  about  the  health  of  the 

teacher. 
10.  What  should    you    avoid  as  liable  to  break  down    your 
strength? 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

/.  What  measures  a  man's  value  to  society? 
2.  Who  was  Dr.  Thomas  Arnold? 

J.  Is  it  true  in  every  case  that  we  must  proceed  from  the 
known  to  the  unknown? 

4.  Distinguish  between  Science  and  Art. 

5.  In  what  does  W.  H.  Payne  consider  the  power  of  the  kinder- 

garten lies? 


CHAPTER  IV 

THINGS   ESSENTIAL  TO  THE  TEACHER 

Driving  the  Stakes 

Every  day  should  add  something  new  to  the  outfit  of  the 
teacher. 

— George  Howland. 

Wisdom  is  the  principal  thing ;  therefore  get  wisdom,  and  with 
all  thy  getting,  get  understanding. 

— Proverbs. 

Power  to  be  conserved  must  be  continually  used ;  unemployed 
power  gradually  wastes  and  dissipates  itself,  giving  no  returns. 

—Homer  H.  Seerley. 

It  may  be  a  little  matter,  but  bear  in  mind  that  when  anything 
is  well  done  it  is  done  forever. 

— Thoreau. 

There  can  be  nothing  shaped  by  man  or  clothed  in  outward 
form  by  him  which  is  not  a  part  of  himself  made  visible. 

— Edward  Thring. 

That  ingenuity  in  meeting  and  pursuing  the  pupil,  that  tact  for 
the  concrete  situation,  though  they  are  the  Alpha  and  Omega  of 
the  teacher's  art,  are  things  to  which  psychology  cannot  help  us 
in  the  least. 

—  IVillia  m  James. 

BEFORE  the  artisan  can  work  intelligently  he  must 
have  a  plan  of  his  work;  the  more  costly  the 
materials  the  more  minute  must  be  the  specifications 
which  guide  him.  Before  he  makes  his 
plans  and  computes  the  cost,  the  architect  ^^^p  ^^^ 
must  know  for  what  purpose  the  building  is 
designed;  whether  it  is  to  be  a  church  or  a  factory,  an 
office  block  or  a  dwelling,  and  how  much  money  is  to 
be  expended  in  its  erection. 

57 


^8  Common   Sense  Didactics 

The  modern  farmer,  if  he  is  intelligent  and  progres- 
sive, comprehends  something  of  the  relation  of  crops, 
the  value  of  fertilizers  as  adapted  to  different  soils,  the 
choice  of  stock,  the  fruit  which  will  flourish  in  his 
section  of  the  country.  He  makes  himself  acquainted 
with  farm  machinery;  he  watches  the  market  and 
notes  the  best  time  for  selling  his  crops  or  stock.  He 
knows  whether  his  men  are  doing  honest  work,  and 
allows  nothing  to  escape  his  notice  which  will  in  any 
way  affect  his  success.  In  this  age  of  competition  he 
is  forced  to  watch  many  points  which  did  not  for  a 
moment  attract  the  attention  of  his  father. 

The  same  principles  hold  good  in  the  profession  of 
teaching.  There  must  be  plan,  order  and  system;  the 
end  must  be  kept  in  view  from  the  beginning.  Some 
things,  however,  never  change.  The  trees  still  grow 
in  the  forest,  although  the  saw-mill  does  the  work 
once  done  by  the  adze  and  the  broad-ax.  The 
harvester  reaps  more  grain  in  an  hour  than  the  cradle 
or  the  sickle  could  in  a  week,  but  the  seed  must  be 
cast,  and  sunshine  and  rain,  dew  and  heat  left  to  do 
the  work  of  nature  in  bringing  on  the  harvest.  (See 
page  49) 

The  nature  of  the  child  has  not  changed  in  the  last 

century.     Children  have  the  same  passions,  the  same 

will,  the  same  childish  desires  and  impulses 

C/uid  j^Q^y  ^g  then.     However,  the  environments 

nature  r     ,./•        ,  ,  ,       •  11 

of     life     have     changed      m      a     marked 

degree,  and  child  nature  demands  a  different  treat- 
ment if  we  would  expect  the  best  results.  A  knowl- 
edge of  children  and  of  child  nature  in  general 
is  essential  to  success;  not  "the  child"  about  which 
so  much  is  said,  but  children  as  a  race.  Child  nature  is 
often  human  nature  in  its  purest  form.     Children  are 


Things  Essential  to  the   Teacher        59 

moved  by  impulses,  emotions  and  desires  which  they 
have  not  yet  learned  to  control.  Temptations  come  to 
them  suddenly,  and  they  have  not  the  strength  to 
resist.  Much  which  we  consider  ugly  and  wicked  is 
simply  the  result  of  an  uncontrolled  disposition  to  seek 
what  seems  to  the  child  to  be  present  pleasure. 

The  nervous  child  cannot  sit  still;  the  stubborn  boy 
does  not  see  why  he  should  obey;  the  dull  intellect 
fails  to  comprehend  the  simplest  statement;  the  mis- 
chievous child  is  never  idle.  So  on  through  the  entire 
category.  The  teacher  must  make  allowances  for  one, 
restrain  another,  instruct  a  third,  and  find  employment 
for  all.  No  wonder  that  some  fail;  more  wonder  that 
so  many  succeed. 

This  knowledge  will  come  to  the  teacher  through 
reflection  and  observation.  Books  written  by  those 
who  have  made  this  subject  a  careful  study,  comparison 
of  experience  with  those  of  more  extended  opportu- 
nities for  observation  than  you  have  had,  will  be  of 
great  service  to  you.  But  after  all,  this  is  one  of  the 
paths  along  which  the  teacher  must  walk  without  a 
guide,  except  as  his  own  insight  into  the  motives  and 
impulses  characteristic  of  child  nature  furnishes  a  light 
for  the  feet. 

In  the  old  days  a  teacher  was  deemed  qualified  for 

his  work  if  he  could  pass  a  fair  scholastic  examination 

in  the  common  English  branches.     In  some 

r  i.1-  i.       i-u-  -J  -1       The  teacher 

parts  of  the  country  this  same  idea  prevails    of  to-day. 

to-day;  nevertheless  the  thought  is  rapidly 

gaining  ground  that  knowledge  of  books  is  not  by  any 

means  the  most  essential  requisite. 

Schools  have  changed  with  the  times.     The  horizon 

has  broadened  greatly,    and    every   year   makes    new 

claims   upon   the   teacher.     Nor    are    these   demands 


6o  Common   Sense  Didactics 

lessened  by  the  fact  that  the  education  of  the  child  is 
a  continuous  process,  going  on  during  life,  out  of 
school  as  well  as  in.  At  home,  at  school;  at  work,  at 
play;  in  the  street,  with  his  mates  or  when  by  himself, 
there  can  be  no  "cessation,  no  intermission  except  in 
his  hours  of  sleep.  When  you  realize  this  you  see  at 
once  that  "to  hear  his  lessons,  to  make  him  mind  in 
school,"  is  only  a  very  small  part  of  the  duty  which 
falls  upon  the  shoulders  of  his  teachers. 

The  teacher  who  desires  to  be  respected  must 
himself  respect  the  dignity  of  his  office  as  an  instructor 
of  children  and  youth.  His  daily  life  must  be  such 
that  it  may  be  safely  imitated  by  those  over  whom  he 
has  an  influence.  Not  only  must  the  teacher  claim 
that  which  is  rightfully  his,  but  he  must  so  conduct  his 
life,  in  private  and  as  a  citizen,  that  others  may 
concede  his  demands  without  grudging  or  hesitation. 

The  manly  man  with  all  the  noble  instincts  of  true 
manhood,  the  womanly  woman  with  all  the  pure, 
delicate  instincts  of  true  womanhood, — these  men  and 
women  are  needed  as  teachers  in  our  schools,  rather 
than  the  coarse,  the  boorish,  the  brutal,  the  con- 
scienceless, even  though  such  be  skilled  in  all  the 
learning  of  the  Egyptians. 

Let  us  consider,  then,  for  a  time  the  nature  of  that 
knowledge  which,  apart  from  the  text-book,  is  of  most 
The  art  of  ^"^por^ance  to  the  teacher.  An  ignorant 
imparting  teacher  is  out  of  place  in  the  schoolroom, 
knowledge.  )^^^  ^  learned  teacher  may  be  just  as  much 
so.  Much  depends  upon  what  we  understand  by  the 
word  "ignorance."  A  teacher  who  has  but  little 
knowledge  of  books  may  teach  a  fairly  good  school;  a 
teacher  with  a  head  full  of  book  learning  may  make  an 
utter  failure. 


Things   E ss eiitial  to   the    Teacher        6i 

Ignorance  is  not  alone  the  absence  of  knowledge, 
but  it  is  also  the  want  of  ability  to  use  that  which  the 
teacher  has.  A  teacher  who  had  been  in  the  university 
once  said  of  a  very  learned  professor:  "He  knows 
enough.  He  is  full  to  the  brim  with  knowledge.  But 
I  learned  very  little  from  his  instructions;  he  took 
it  for  granted  that  we  understood  him,  and  so  he  did 
not  condescend  to  explain.  He  shot  over  our  heads 
all  the  time."  This  is  a  severe  criticism  to  make  upon 
any  teacher.  To  adapt  knowledge  to  the  child  mind 
and  not  to  dilute  it  until  it  is  tasteless  is  a  high  art. 

Consider  these  steps  with  great  care  if  you  wish  to 

become  an  adept  in  imparting.     In  the  first  place  your 

knowledge   of    the    subject    needs    to    be 

intensive  rather  than  extensive.     You  may    ^^^P^  ^f. 

...  .  -^     imparting. 

be  skilled  m  the  higher  mathematics  and 
yet  not  be  able  to  expkin  the  most  common  opera- 
tions in  fractions  so  that  the  members  of  your  class 
will  clearly  comprehend  them.  Have  in  your  mind 
keen  clean-cut  ideas  of  the  point  you  wish  to  demon- 
strate. Then  make  a  very  choice  selection  of  words  in 
your  definitions  and  in  your  statements.  Choose,  when 
you  can,  words  such  as  are  included  in  the  child's  vocab- 
ulary. If  forced  to  use  a  new  and  hitherto  unused  term 
give  the  pupils  plenty  of  time  to  get  acquainted  with  it. 
In  the  next  place  manifest  an  interest  in  having  the 
child  understand,  and  when  by  his  recitation  he  makes 
it  evident  that  he  has  a  clear  conception  of  the  lesson 
let  him  see  that  you  are  proud  of  his  success.  Don't 
call  him  a  blockhead,  or  twit  him  of  his  dullness. 
That  is  a  species  of  cruelty  to  which  a  good  teacher 
never  resorts.  You  cannot  impart  knowledge  to  a 
child  who  is  in  tears  over  his  failure,  or  angry  because 
of  your  too  sharp  chidings. 


62  Co  mm  0  71   Se?ise  Didactics 

Patience  and  sympathy  are  just  as  necessary  in 
imparting  instruction  as  in  government.  Sometimes  it 
is  well  to  leave  a  point  and  take  something  new. 
Weariness  is  always  a  hindrance.  Then  at  a  later 
period  or  in  the  review,  resume  the  matter  and  often 
you  will  find  that  the  difficulty  has  disappeared. 

In  the  last  place  be  sure  that  you  have  the  attention 
of  the  entire  class.  This  is  a  vital  point.  Without  it 
there  can  be  no  permanent  impression  made  upon  your 
pupils.  Inattention  on  the  part  of  the  class  is  not 
always  the  teacher's  fault;  but  he  is  blameworthy  if 
he  allows  it  without  reproof  or  correction. 

There  is  this  also  to  be  remembered  in  your  attempts 
to  communicate  knowledge— one  child  needs  very 
little  explanation  in  his  arithmetic;  another  under- 
stands a  principle,  or  the  simplest  exercise  with  the 
greatest  difficulty.  One  is  over-fond  of  history  and 
dislikes  grammar;  another  would  study  literature  to 
the  exclusion  of  all  other  branches.  These  are  all  in 
one  class.  The  problem  for  you  to  solve  is  how  to 
adapt  your  instructions  to  the  peculiar  wants  of  each 
pupil.  The  solution  will  require  on  your  part  perse- 
verance, good  temper,  patience  and  a  large  amount  of 
good  common  sense.  Study  the  child  that  you  may 
know  the  limitations  of  his  mind  as  to  what  he  can  and 
what  he  cannot  do,  and  then  adapt  your  language, 
your  illustrations  and  instructions  to  his  capacity. 

The  teacher   who  wishes   to  become  an    expert    in 

communicating   knowledge   should   be  so  thoroughly 

,  .        versed  in  child  nature  by  observation,  by 
Versed  tn  «       .         ,  •  ,       i  •   • 

ikild  reflection,  by  experience  that  he  can  antici- 

nature.  p^^^  ^j^^    thoughts  of    the  pupil  and  avail 

himself  of  those  faculties  which  seem  to  be  especially 
active  in  childhood.     We  all  know  that  children  have 


Thi?igs  Essefitial  to  the    Teacher        6j 

their  own  way  of  judging,  of  feeling,  of  reasoning;  the 
imagination  is  very  active;  curiosity  is  on  the  alert; 
desire  and  love,  fear  and  hatred  take  on  real  living 
forms  in  their  minds.  If  you  are  to  communicate 
knowledge  of  any  kind  to  these  little  people  remem- 
ber your  own  childhood,  and  become  for  the  time 
being  a  little  child  with  them.     (See  page  34.) 

You  cannot  create  intellect,  nor  can  you  furnish 
brain,  but  you  can  open  the  door  of  growth,  you  can 
stimulate,  you  can  encourage  and  hopefully  direct  the 
feeble  effort  to  improve.  Rest  content  when  you  are 
sure  that  you  have  done  your  whole  duty.  The  dull 
boy  may  not  claim  all  your  time,  but  he  is  entitled  to 
your  largest  sympathy.  A  late  writer  says:  "There 
is  that  born  in  the  child  which  determines  his  predilec- 
tion, and  the  great  teacher  is  he  who  early  discovers 
the  innate  germ  and  gives  it  opportunity  for  expres- 
sion.    Soul  is  not  the  product  of  the  school." 

Loyalty  is  a  matter  which  deserves  more  considera- 
tion than  it  usually  receives.    For  the  time  being  you  are 
to  become  an  integral  part  of  the  system  of 
schools  in  the  city  or  township  with  which  ^^^  ^' 

your  school  is  connected.  There  should  be  always  on 
your  part  a  hearty  compliance  with  standard  rules  and 
regulations  made  by  those  who  have  charge  of  the 
school.  If  these  regulations  are  so  burdensome  as  to 
restrict  your  usefulness  you  can  resign,  but  there 
should  never  be  anything  like  rebellion.  Those  who 
as  directors  or  superintendent  are  placed  over  you  are 
entitled  to  a  hearty  support,  and  the  teacher  falls  far 
short  of  her  duty  who  does  not  cheerfully  render  it. 
Whenever  anything  like  friction,  suspicion,  antag- 
onism or  even  indifference  exists,  the  interest  of  the 
school  must  suffer.     At  times  teachers  regard  teachers' 


64  Contmou   Sense  Didactics 

meetings  and  associations  as  useless,  and  express 
themselves  as  unwilling  to  attend.  Many  times  they 
fail  to  attend  without  any  good  excuse.  This  is  not  a 
spirit  of  loyalty  to  the  best  interests  of  the  school. 
The  place  assigned  you  on  the  program  should  be 
cheerfully  accepted  and  filled  to  the  best  of  vour 
ability. 

In  nearly  every  instance  the  county  superintendent 
is  honestly  working  for  the  interests  of  the  teachers  of 
his  county.  He  ought  to  have  their  loyal  support. 
He  is  not  above  criticism,  neither  are  you.  Your 
advice  and  your  experience  may  be  a  great  help  to 
him,  and  he  is  in  a  position  to  be  of  real  service  to  you. 
Your  influence  in  assisting  him  to  introduce  libraries, 
to  push  the  interests  of  the  reading  circle,  in  maintain- 
ing township  meetings,  if  strongly  exerted,  will  be 
appreciated  by  him  if  he  is  a  worthy  officer.  All  this 
applies  equally  well  to  teachers  in  city  schools. 
Loyalty  is  fast  coming  to  be  considered  as  a  chief 
essential  to  successful  work  in  any  system  of  schools. 
(See  page  50.) 

In  another  place  I  shall  have  something  to  say  of  the 

power   of   adaptability   to   environment.     But    in    an 

„  ,  ^.  entirely  different  sense  one  of  the  essen- 

Relattons         .   ,        "l  .,,.,.  , 

to  the  tials  of  success  is  the  ability  to  get  along 

public.  smoothly  with  the  public.     In  this  there  is 

an  opportunity  for  the  exercise  of  both  tact  and 
common  sense.  Little  neighborhood  quarrels  should 
not  concern  the  teacher  of  the  district  school.  Per- 
sonal animosities  between  neighbors  should  be  ignored, 
and  absolute  friendliness  maintained  with  all  parties. 
Do  not  attempt  to  please  everybody,  but  do  not  need- 
lessly offend  any  one. 
Complaints  which  reach  your  ears  may  seem  to  you 


Things  Essejitial  to  the    Teacher        6^ 

frivolous,  but  they  do  not  seem  so  to  those  who  make 
them. .  Give  those  who  come  to  you  with  them 
respectful  attention  and  hear  patiently  what  they  have 
to  say. 

Give  no  attention  to  idle  rumors  which  may  reach 
your  ears,  and  lose  no  sleep  on  account  of  them.  Be 
courteous  to  those  even  who  are  not  your  friends,  if 
such  there  are  in  the  district,  and  make  them  welcome 
to  the  school.  Your  chief  business  is  to  give  the 
people  the  benefits  of  the  best  school  possible,  and  to 
this  all  your  energies  should  be  bent.  When  you  talk 
of  the  school  say  "our  school,"  not  "my  school,"  and 
thus  make  the  public  feel  that  the  people  have  a  pro- 
prietary interest  in  all  that  concerns  its  welfare. 

A  disposition  to  maintain  your  own  dignity  while 
you  manifest  a  friendly  spirit  toward  any  one  with 
whom  you  come  in  contact  will  make  your  position  as 
teacher  much  more  influential  and  much  pleasanter. 

Do  not  allow  your  pupils  to  come  to  you  with  tales 
of  what  they  hear,  or  of  what  their  parents  say  of  you 
or  your  school.  Never  on  any  occasion  let  jv  s  of 
the  children  hear  you  speak  disrespectfully  avoiding 
or  disparagingly  of  their  parents,  no  matter  friction. 
how  unreasonable  they  may  be  or  how  low  their  con- 
dition in  life.  The  natural  love  and  regard  of  the  child 
for  the  parent  should  be  respected  and  encouraged  by 
you. 

Without  being  time-serving,  or  timorous,  or  fawning, 
by  observing  the  dictates  of  common  sense  and  by 
good  judgment  you  can  avoid  much  of  the  friction 
with  the  public  which  sometimes  displaces  the  teacher 
from  her  position  and  perhaps  greatly  injures  her 
reputation. 


66  Common   Se?ise  Didactics 

The   wise    teacher   recognizes   the    fact   that    every 

school  has  its  own  individuality.     What  can  be  accom- 

T-i     ^  J       plished  in  one  school  and  with  one  class  of 
The  study       ^      ..      .  ,  .       .  , 

of  environ-    pupils  is  not  the  measure  of  what  can   be 

ment.  accomplished  in  another  district.     This  is 

a  kind  of  knowledge  which  but  few  instructors  possess 

— a  knowledge  of  conditions   and    environments.     It 

opens  a  field  calling  for  much  patient  thought  on  the 

part  of  the  teacher.     The  question  is  not  what  would  I 

like  to  do  for  this  child,  but  what  may  I  reasonably 

hope  to  do  under  all  circumstances  by  which  I  find  him 

surrounded,  as  home   conditions  and    influences,   the 

work  done  by  previous  teachers,  and  the  intellectual 

and   moral  atmosphere  which   seems  to    pervade    the 

community.     When  you  have  answered  this  question 

conscientiously  and  have  fully  determined  it  in  your 

mind,  then  you  can  free  yourself  from  all  worry  and 

anxiety  and  be  at  liberty  to  do  your  work  for  each  pupil, 

taking  him  as  God  has  made  him. 

The  most  valuable  knowledge  which  can   come  to 

any  one  is  the  knowledge  of  one's  self,  the  power  to 

c  ir  u       /  measure  one's   own   ability  and   to  under- 

Se  if  know  I-  /  ,  ,.     . 

ed^e  and  stand    the    boundaries  of  personal  limita- 

se1f  trust.  tions. 

The  tendency  in  a  man  to  underrate  his  powers,  a 
disposition  to  refrain  from  action  for  fear  of  making  a 
mistake — not  actual  cowardice,  but  a  shrinking  from  a 
responsibility — is  a  sign  of  weakness  in  his  character. 
The  same  is  true  in  the  character  of  the  teacher.  That 
nervous  tension  which  comes  from  the  exercise  of  a 
strong  will  power,  that  determination  "to  win  out," 
which  is  born  of  a  brave  heart,  no  matter  how  great 
the  difficulty  or  how  severe  the  struggle,  will  rally  all 
the  powers  of  the  intellect,  body  and  soul  to  his  aid, 


Things  Essential  to  the   Teacher        6y 

and  bring  him  off  victorious  in  the  end.  "I  can 
because  I  wiW  is  a  good  motto  for  the  timid  or  dis- 
heartened teacher.  In  an  old  book  this  is  summed  up 
thus:     "I  am;  I  can;  I  ought;  I  will.'' 

While  the  teacher  should  not  trust  to  native  instinct 
or  blind  impulse  in  dealing  with  children,  there  is  such 

a  thing"  as  intuition,  or  intuitive  judgment,    , 

,  .   ,  ^  .  ,  •  1         1    •     Intuition. 

which  sometimes  comes  to  our  aid  and  is 

almost  infallible.  An  English  author  speaking  of 
intuitions  says:  "They  present  themselves  spontane- 
ously to  the  mind  with  irresistible  evidence. "  There 
is  not  space  to  discuss  this  matter,  but  I  believe  that 
the  power  to  judge  by  intuition  as  to  the  best  course  to 
be  pursued  is  frequently  an  acquired  habit  which  is 
cultivated  by  the  exercise  of  observation,  reason  and 
judgment  joined  to  thoughtful,  persistent  study  of 
children  in  the  early  stages  of  development. 

A  general  acquaintance  with  what  the  world  is  doing 
also  is  essential  to  the  teacher.  More  than  ever  before 
it  is  his  duty  to  prepare  pupils  for  a  broad  j^^owledge. 
citizenship.  The  world  is  coming  together,  of  the 
Knowledge  is  greatly  multiplied.  The  "^orld. 
future  citizen  must  be  a  cosmopolitan,  ready  for  his 
work  in  whatever  civilization  his  lot  may  be  cast.  The 
world  of  the  present  is  an  immense  telegraphic  sys- 
tem, the  wires  of  which  run  into  the  cottages  of  the 
poor  as  well  as  the  mansions  of  the  rich.  Every  man 
to-day  is  able  to  read  from  the  sounds  as  they  come  in 
from  all  lands  the  doings  and  sayings  of  the  entire  world. 

If  the  pupil  is  to  be  of  any  use  to  his  generation  he 
must,  when  he  leaves  his  studies,  find  himself  possessed 
of  a  spirit  of  growth  and  enterprise  commensurate  with 
the  times.     That  smattering  of  a  few  branches  which 


68  Com7no?i   S e?ise  Didactics 

formerly   sufficed    is   utterly   insufficient  now  for  the 
teacher  who  is  aspiring  to  do  good  work. 

There  should  always  be  present  with  the  teacher  a 

comprehension  of  the  avenues  of  success  which  seem  to 

be  most  promising  to  the  youth.     The  boy 

The  avenues  ^y^Qge  natural  talents  fit  him  in  an  especial 
of  success.  •  ,       ,  ,   , 

way  tor  some  vocation  should  be  encour- 
aged, and  his  teacher  should  be  able  to  point  out  to 
him  the  advantages  which  may  come  to  him  from 
following  his  natural  bent.  More  than  that  the  disad- 
vantages and  the  difficulties  which  may  meet  him 
should  not  be  concealed.  The  teacher  should  be  a 
wise  adviser — wise  because  he  speaks  from  his  wider 
knowledge.  Pupils  admire  and  trust  the  teacher  whose 
understanding  embraces  something  of  that  practical 
life  into  which  they  expect  to  enter  when  school  days 
are  over. 

The  time  has  gone  by  when  the  teacher  can  say: 
"It  is  nothing  to  me  what  the  child  is  to  do  after  he 
leaves  school."  The  great  business  of  the  school  is  so 
to  shape  the  inclinations,  the  ambition,  the  moral 
purposes  of  the  child  that  the  change  from  school  to 
active  life  shall  be  only  a  step  leading  to  a  higher 
plane  of  living. 

It  is  well  to  instruct  children  as  to  their  duties,  but 

it  is  equally  well  to  inform  them  of  their  rights.     This 

is  a   part  of  the   work  which    a   properly 

J^^^  1.4  organized  school  should  do.  There  are 
certain  duties  which  have  a  claim  upon  the 
good  citizen, — duties  to  the  state,  to  the  family,  to 
those  with  whom  he  associates  in  business,  but  in  turn 
the  citizen  may  claim  his  rights,  and  even  insist  upon 
them  because  they  are  lawfully  his. 

Search,  in  The  Ideal  ScJwoly  says:    "The  child  has  an 


Thirigs  Esse?itial  to  the   Teacher        6g 

inalienable  right  to  be  a  child;  to  be  understood  and 
appreciated;  to  joyous  play,  freedom  in  movements, 
adequate  sleep,  nourishing  food,  companionable  pets, 
and,  within  certain  limits,  self-chosen  friends;  to  an 
acquaintance  with  Nature;  to  capable  leadership,  and  to 
opportunity  for  initiative  and  unrestraining  progress," 
The  same  state  of  affairs  exists  in  all  schools.  As  his 
duty  you  may  exact  from  every  pupil  obedience, 
respect,  attention  to  his  studies,  but  in  turn  he  has  cer- 
tain definite  privileges  which  he  may  expect  from  his 
teacher.  Impartiality,  courtesy,  justice,  kindness, 
respect  for  his  feelings — upon  these  the  pupil  may 
insist  as  legitimately  his.  The  teacher  who  mimicked 
the  lame  boy  and  held  his  misfortune  up  as  a  matter  of 
ridicule  drove  him  from  school  and  almost  ruined  his 
life.  Many  a  guilty  prisoner  in  the  penitentiary  has 
less  to  answer  for  than  she  has  through  her  cruel 
thoughtlessness. 

A  story  is  told  of  an  English  schoolmaster  who  made 
an  invariable  rule  that  the  pupil  should  hold  his  book 
in  his  right  hand.  One  day  he  noticed  that  a  new  boy 
held  his  book  in  his  left  hand.  The  master  said,  in 
commanding  tones,  "Books  in  the  right  hand."  Still 
the  one  boy  made  no  pretense  of  changing.  Supposing 
it  was  a  case  of  obstinacy  the  master  brought  his  cane 
down  heavily  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  boy.  In  an 
instant  up  came  the  boy's  right  arm  with  only  a 
shrivelled  stump  in  the  place  of  a  hand.  For  a 
moment  the  room  was  still  as  death.  Then  the  master 
laid  his  book  upon  the  desk,  and  placing  his  arm 
around  the  boy  asked  pardon,  while  the  tears  ran 
down  his  cheeks.  Then  turning  to  the  class  he  begged 
their  pardon  also  for  his  most  grievous    fault. 

In  his  instructions  to  his  pupils  the    teacher   must 


yo  Common   Sense  Didactic s 

know  what  discriminations  to  make  between  the  duties- 
and  the   rights  of  every  one,  so  that  he  may  set  them 

forth  plainly  and  forcibly.  This  is  part, 
Wisedis-       ^^^    ^   necessary  part,   of   what  we   often 

term  a  practical  education.  It  cannot  be 
learned  from  books,  neither  can  it  be  set  forth  in  ser- 
mons or  prosy  talks.  By  proper  and  careful  regard  to 
the  rights  and  the  duties  of  each,  an  impression  can  be 
made  which  the  pupils  will  retain  through  a  long, 
active  life. 

As  the  population  of  the  country  increases,  especially 
in  view  of  the  tendency  of' men  to  gather  in  cities  and 
towns,  it  becomes  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the 
youth  when  he  comes  to  his  citizenship  should  be  as 
jealous  of  his  neighbor's  rights  as  of  his  own  if  he  is  to 
be  a  citizen  leading  a  quiet  life  in  a  respectable  neigh- 
borhood. Only  in  this  way  can  we  engender  through 
our  schools  that  spirit  of  helpfulness  which  is  sadly 
wanting  in  the  pushing,  hustling  life  of  to-day. 

There  is  more  power  in  a  knowledge  of  books  than 
there  is  in  book  knowledge  as  generally  estimated.     It 

is  not  necessary  that  a  teacher  should  be  an 
^nowtedze     ^^^P^  ^"   literature,  but  he  should  have  a 

somewhat  complete  knowledge  of  authors 
and  their  works.  Without  this  he  must  at  times  either 
be  ashamed  of  his  ignorance,  or  cover  it  up  by  some 
general  and  often  misleading  statement.  It  adds  very 
greatly  to  the  interest  which  a  class  exhibits  in  a 
certain  production  to  know  the  author's  name,  some- 
thing of  his  life  and  what  else  has  come  from  his 
pen. 

I  would  not  lay  upon  your  shoulders  a  burden  in 
addition  to  what  you  already  carry.  But  the  news- 
papers and  public  journals  as  well  as  the  prominent 


Thi?igs  Essential  to  the    Teacher        7/ 

magazines  contain  items  of  news  and  information  of 
improvements  in  the  arts  and  sciences  which  should 
come  under  the  teacher's  notice.  The  reading  of 
them  seems  to  be  essential  if  the  school  is  to  be  kept 
in  touch  with  the  world's  progress.  Travels  and 
biography  and  history  must  be  gathered  from  the 
latest  sources  in  order  to  have  them  fresh  and  inter- 
esting. The  world  moves  so  rapidly,  the  progress  of 
events  is  so  sharp  and  incessant  that  the  teacher  is 
sometimes  at  his  wits'  ends  to  keep  up  with  the  pro- 
cession. 

In  the  family  circle  a  question  arose  as  to  building 
railroads  in  Siberia.  The  father,  with  his  limited 
knowledge,  was  positive  it  could  not  be  done.  An 
older  sister  was  equally  positive  that  while  visiting  a 
friend  she  had  read  an  account  of  it  in  some  paper. 
Finally  the  little  boy  just  entering  the  grammar  grade 
of  the  village  school  said:  "I'll  ask  my  teacher 
to-morrow.  You  bet  she'll  know."  At  noon  he  came 
home  in  triumph.  "I  told  you  she  would  know.  She 
has  promised  to  lend  me  a  magazine  that  tells  lots 
about  it." 

The  teacher  is  not  expected  to  know  everything,  but 
he  ought  to  know  where  certain  items  of  useful  knowl- 
edge can  be  found,  and  if,  as  this  teacher  The  teacher 

did,  he  can  furnish  it  to  the  pupil  and  to  ^^^^^^^-^^^ 
'  .  r    r  i^  sources  of 

the  family  he  does  a  good  work.  knowledge. 

Something  should  be  said  here  of  educational  jour- 
nals. They  contain  that  professional  knowledge  with- 
out which  the  teacher  cannot  well  measure  himself  by 
what  others  are  doing.  In  order  to  keep  fully  up  with 
the  times  the  teacher  should  be  familiar  with  one  or 
more  good  educational  journals  suited  to  the  special 
grades  in  which  he  is  engaged. 


y2  Co  mm 0  71   Sense  Didactic s 

One  or  more  professional  works  should  be  owned 
and  carefully  read  by  the  teacher.  He  cannot  read 
everything  which  comes  from  the  educational  press, 
and  he  ought  not  to  attempt  it,  but  something  must  be 
added  to  his  store  of  professional  knowledge  from  year 
to  year  or  he  will  fall  into  the  ruts  and  grow  old  before 
his  time. 

One  of  the  worst  things  than  can  happen  to  a 
teacher  is  to  drop  behind  in  the  march  of  educational 
progress.  Stunted  in  his  intellectual  and  professional 
growth  he  suddenly  finds  himself  useless  when  he 
ought  to  be  most  useful;  set  aside  as  of  no  worth  at  a 
time  of  life  when  he  ought  to  be  retained  for  his  valu- 
able services. 

Many  schools  are  very  deficient  in  reference  books, 
and  even  when  the  pupils  have  access  to  them  the  vol- 
j^   .J  umes  often  give  only  the  merest  outlines 

prepara-  which  prove  unsatisfactory  because  of  their 
tton.  meagerness.    The  information  which  comes 

warm  from  the  heart  of  the  enthusiastic  teacher  kindles 
a  corresponding  glow  in  the  heart  of  the  pupil.  Book 
knowledge  cannot  do  this  unless  the  instructor  is  able 
to  supplement  it  by  wider  knowledge,  drawn  from  all 
the  sources  at  his  command.  The  teacher  should  have 
a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  subject-matter  con- 
tained in  the  text-books  used  in  the  schools.  He 
should  be  familiar  not  only  with  the  matter  but  with 
the  methods  of  presentation  adopted  by  the  author. 
The  text-book  is  the  pupil's  guide,  whom  he  trusts  and 
upon  whose  statements  he  depends.  It  is  unwise  in 
the  teacher  to  weaken  the  pupil's  confidence  in  the 
book. 

He  should,  however,  have  other  resources.  Page 
says  he  should  be  so  familiar  with  the  lesson  that  even 


Things  Essential  to  the   Teacher        yj 

a  every  text-book  were  destroyed  he  could  still 
conduct  the  recitation  successfully. 

The  teacher  who  knows  nothing  more  than  what  the 
text-book  contains,  and  knows  that  well,  can  be 
endured,  although  he  is  not  desirable;  but  the  teacher 
who  knows  everything  else  except  the  text-book  in 
use  and  the  methods  adopted  by  the  author,  cannot  by 
any  possible  means  do  good  work,  and  ought  not  to  be 
endured  more  than  a  single  month.  It  will  take 
about  that  length  of  time  to  find  some  one  to  take  his 
place. 

There  are  other  things  which  might  be  included  here. 
Some  of  them  are  found  in  the  chapter  on  the  Hygiene 
of  the  School,  others  in  the  chapter  on  Moral  Instruc- 
tion. Enough  points,  however,  have  been  mentioned 
to  induce  the  teacher  to  be  careful  in 

Driving  the  Stakes. 
Quotations  Worth  Reading 

child  na  ture. 

For  the  teacher  to  know  his  subjects  well  from  an  examination 
point  of  view  is  one  thing;  to  know  them  in  a  form  suitable  for 
presentation  to  his  scholars  is  another ;  while,  to  be  acquainted 
with  the  best  methods  of  communicating  the  knowledge  he  pos- 
sesses— the  principles  which  should  govern  his  teaching,  the 
various  devices  he  should  make'  use  of  and  the  share  of  the  work 
he  should  exact  from  his  pupils,— is  still  a  third. 

—Joseph  Landon. 

Children  have  their  own  characteristic  ways  of  feeling,  of 
regarding  things,  of  judging  as  to  truth  and  so  forth.  And 
although  the  adult  observer  of  children  has  himself  been  a  child, 
he  is  unable,  except  in  rare  cases,  to  recall  his  own  childish  expe- 
riences with  any  distinctness.  How  many  of  us  are  really  able  to 
recollect  the  wonderings,  the  terrors,  the  grotesque  fancies  of  our 
first  years?  And  then  children  are  apt  to  be  misunderstood 
because  they  have  to  use  our  medium  of  speech  and  often  fail  to 
seize  its  exact  meaning. 

—James  Sully. 


7^  Common   Sense  Didactics 

KNOWLEDGE  OF SELh. 

It  is  by  faithfully  performing  the  tasks  assigned  him  in  the 
studies  of  his  course  that  the  student  trains  himself  thus  to  pene- 
trate, resolve,  combine  and  develop.  In  a  mind  so  disciplined  its 
possessor  has  an  instrument  of  almost  universal  potency.  This  is 
the  general  outfit,  to  be  supplemented  by  such  special  preparation 
as  may  be  suited  to  each  one's  special  work  in  life.  The  liberal 
training  has  already  given  fitness  to  master  the  problem  in  any 
one  of  the  many  waiting  spheres, — law,  medicine,  theology, 
sociology  or  science. 

—SelecUd. 

And  there  at  the  threshold,  like  a  fairy  princess,  should  stand 
the  sympathetic  teacher,  with  smiling  welcome  to  receive  him,  to 
crown  his  hopes  with  her  sweet  confidence  and  kindly  care,  and 
assign  him  his  seat,  the  throne  of  his  childish  ambition,  and  his 
desk,  the  banqueting-table  of  his  curious  and  wondering  heart. 

— George  Howland, 
INTUITION. 

Intuitions  are  beliefs  and  judgments  which  present  themselves 
spontaneously  to  the  mind  with  irresistible  evidence,  but  without 
the  assistance  of  memory  or  reflection. 

— Dexter  and  Gar  lick. 

The  soul  is  also  endowed  with  the  power  to  know  directly  and 
immediately  the  necessary  relations  of  objects.  This  intellectual 
power  is  called  intuition. 

— Emerson  E.  IVhiU. 

Hegel  does  not  hesitate  to  expressly  declare  that  "pedagogics 
is  the  art  of  making  men  moral,"  and  to  this  he  adds  that 
theoretically  "It  regards  man  as  natural,  and  shows  the  way  of 
bringing  about  his  regeneration,  the  way  of  transforming  his  first 
nature  into  a  second  nature,  so  that  the  latter  shall  attain  the  form 
of  habit  within  him," 

—SelecUd. 
KNOWLEDGE  OF  THE  WORLD. 

Careless  teachers  do  most  of  their  proper  mischief  because  they 
have  not  acquired  the  scrupulous  habit  of  intellectual  truthful- 
ness. The  lack  of  it  is  not  felt  by  themselves;  they  would  be 
indignant  if  we  tried  to  bring  it  home  to  them.  But  from  the  want 
of  logic  and  from  a  touching  belief  in  the  performance  of  "experi- 
ments" as  "science,"  the  science  lessons  in  particular  are  often 
full  of  reckless  deceptions. 

—P.  A.  Sarnett. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 

In  all  our  schools  there  is  too  strong  a  tendency  to  hold  up  a 
false  standard  of  success  before  the  pupils.  The  things  which 
make  for  true  manhood  and  true  womanhood,  which  will  con- 


Thifigs  E ssential  to  the   Te acker        75 

tribute  to  the  usefulness  of  the  individual  as  a  member  of  society, 
are  lost  sight  of  in  the  fierce  ambition  to  obtain  the  mark  neces- 
sary for  promotion  to  the  next  higher  class. 

—Iowa  School  Report. 

The  circle  of  knowledge,  through  which  every  man  in  his  own 
place  becomes  blessed,  begins  immediately  around  him,  from  his 
own  being,  and  from  his  closest  relations.  It  extends  from  this 
beginning  and  at  every  increase  must  have  reference  to  truth, 
that  central  point  of  all  blessed  powers. 

— Pestalozzi. 

There  must  be  substituted  for  our  present  methods  of  examin- 
ing teachers  a  careful  inquiry  into  character,  intellectual  capacity, 
general  culture,  and  all  that  goes  to  the  making  of  a  teacher, 
including  a  knowledge  of  pedagogic  theory  and  practice  as  laid 
down  in  the  literature  of  the  profession.  Scholarship  should  be 
insisted  upon,  but  good  judgment  must  be  held  as  important  as 
geography,  gumption  as  necessary  as  grammar.  Change  our 
practice  so  as  to  make  these  larger  demands  upon  our  teachers, 
our  law  so  as  to  provide  a  rational  method  of  licensing  them,  and 
both  law  and  practice  so  as  to  exempt  them  from  the  unnecessary 
annoyance  of  never-ending  reexaminations  every  time  the  moon 
changes,  a  county  line  is  crossed,  or  the  institute  fund  is  low,  and 
we  shall  at  once  find  a  reasonable  supply  of  teachers  with  as  much 
preparation  as  the  profits  of  teaching  a  country  school  will 
warrant. 

—A.  B.  Warner. 

But  remember— and  let  me  say  it  once  for  all — that  my  aim  is 
not  so  much  to  give  definite  instruction  as  to  put  the  reader  into 
such  ways  and  starts  of  thought  as  shall  make  him  eager  to 
instruct  himself. 

—Donald  Grant  Mitchell. 

The  best  thing  in  this  world  is  work,  and  the  best  work  in  the 
\vorld  is  for  the  children.  It  is  the  seed  and  the  soil  and  the 
planting  that  we  must  look  after  together  with  watchfulness  of 
the  growing  plants.  What  the  harvest  shall  be  we  know  not. 
We  may  never  know  and  we  need  not  know.  The  influence  of  a 
great  teacher  may  reach — must  reach — through  all  the  years. 
And  the  great  teacher,  whether  in  the  country  school  or  the  uni- 
versity, is  the  one  whose  work  is  limited  only  by  his  possibilities — 
not  for  self,  but  for  children. 

—Orville  T.  Bright. 

Questions  for  Examination 

/.  Which  of  the  three  points  mentioned  in  quotation  i  from 

Landon  is  the  most  important? 
2.  In  what  particulars  does  child  nature  never  change? 
J.  What  knowledge,  apart  from  that  contained  in  text-books  is 
important  to  the  teacher? 


j6  Co mvion  Se n se  D i da c tic s 

4.  Why  is  it  important  for  the  teacher  to  have  a  knowledge  of 

himself  ? 

5.  Answer  the  same  question  in  regard  to  child  nature. 

6.  What  do  you  understand  by  intuition? 

7.  Name  some  of  the  rights  of  children. 

8.  Tell  the  story  of    the  English  schoohnaster  and  draw  an 

inference  from  it.  <r 

9.  Tell  the  story  of  the  railroad  in  Siberia,  and  draw  the  infer- 

ence from  it. 
10.  The  relation  of  the  teacher  to  the  text-books  used  by  the 
pupils. 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

/.  If  you  have  any  book  at  hand  study  the  subject  of  intuitions. 
2.  Purchase  one  good  book,  not  too  difficult,  which  treats  of 

elementary  psychology,  and  read  it  with  pencil  in  hand. 
J.  Keep  a  sound,   practical  treatise    on   school   management 

where  you  can  consult  it  occasionally. 

4.  Subscribe  for  not  more  than  two  educational  journals,  and 

as  you  read  discriminate  between  what  is  practical  and 
what  is  worthless. 

5.  Read  for  your  own  advancement  some  book  not  strictly 

professional. 


CHAPTER   V 

THE   CHILD 

A  Little  Child  Shall  Lead  Them 

The  supreme  object  of  the  child's  education  is  the  child  himself, 

—Selected. 

Observation  is  the  absolute  basis  of  all  knowledge. 

—Pestalozzi. 

The  soul  is  endowed  with  the  power  to  know  directly  present 
material  objects.  This  power  is  called  perception,  and  since 
material  objects  are  perceived  by  means  of  special  senses  it  may 
be  called  sense-perception.  , 

— Emerson  E.  White. 

What  a  man  would  discover  about  an  object  by  reflection  and 
reason,  the  child  finds  out  through  his  senses. 

—A .  R.  Taylor. 

The  habit  of  attention  is  an  essential  part  of  observation. 
Therefore  it  must  be  acquired  before  progress  in  intellectual 
culture  can  be  made. 

—N.  A.  Calkins. 

.If  we  do  not  save  the  children,  who  will? 

— Francis  IV.  Parker. 

THE    carpenter  or  the  cabinet-maker  must  know 
the  peculiar  qualities  of  the  different  kinds  of 
wood  upon  which  he  works.     By  the  sense  of  touch  he 
can  distinguish  the  hemlock  from  the  oak,     Dealing- 
the  maple  from  the  pine,  the  birch  from     with  the 
the  mahogany.     A  large  part  of  his  skill     ''^^^^^^■«^- 
consists  in  knowing  how  to  get  the  best  results  possible 
from  the  material  at  his  disposal.     He  knows  that  pine 
cannot  be  made  to  take  the  polish  of  mahogany,  nor 
the   hemlock    the   beauty   and    strength    of    the   hard 
maple.     Yet  each  if  skillfully  treated  has  its  use  and 

77 


yS  Common   Se?ise  Didactics 

purpose.  In  his  work  he  is  guided  by  his  knowledge 
of  the  qualities  which  the  tree  has,  as  it  were  by- 
inheritance,  in  common  with  all  its  race. 

To  obtain  the  best  results  possible  out  of  the  child 
as  God  made  him,  the  teacher  must  deal  with  him  in 
m  uch  the  same  way.  That  is  skill;  t/tat  will  insure  success. 
The  infinite  variety  that  exists  in  the  minds  of  children 
is  beyond  our  comprehension,  and  yet  we  scarcely  give 
it  earnest  thought.  We  group  them  in  grades  and 
classes  and  give  them  set  lessons  from  their  books;  we 
praise  them  or  blame  them  with  but  little  if  any  dis- 
crimination, and  we  dismiss  them  at  four  o'clock 
thinking  our  work  is  done. 

For  too  many  of  us  it  is  done.  The  dignity,  the 
possibilities  of  childhood,  the  ideal  to  which  the  child 
may  attain  under  good  teaching,  the  strength  of  char- 
acter which  is  the  combined  product  of  motive  and 
principle,  all  are  eclipsed  by  the  common-place  and 
practical  which  have  no  fruition  in  the  hereafter  and 
afford  no  conception  of  that  soulful  instruction  which 
is  due  an  immortal  life. 

"What  is  the  child  worth  in  the  light  of  eternity?" 
should  confront  the  teacher  at  every  stage  of  his  work. 
The  worth  This  truth  has  been  recognized  by  thought- 
of  the  child,  ful  men  everywhere.  It  ought  to  stimulate 
the  teacher  to  the  greatest  possible  efforts  in  behalf  of 
every  child  under  his  care.  Thackeray  recognized  it 
when  he  wrote:  "The  death  of  a  little  child  occasions 
such  a  passion  of  grief  and  frantic  tears  as  your  end 
will  never  inspire."  Emerson  also  wrote:  "Whoever 
lays  his  hand  upon  the  head  of  a  little  child  lays  it 
also  upon  the  mother's  heart."  Out  of  the  fullness  of 
his  soul  Dickens  wrote  of  Little  Nell  and  wept  real 
tears  at  her  death. 


The    Child  jg 

Charles  F.  Seward,  in  discussing  "Spiritual  Emanci- 
pation," writes:  "The  most  important  work  of  this 
generation  is  not  the  development  and  utilization  of 
electricity  and  other  forces  for  material  ends.  Its 
special  task  is  to  study,  comprehend  and  apply  the 
principle  of  unity — the  unity  of  law,  of  truth  and  of 
life."  So  the  most  important  w^ork  in  our  schools  is 
not  to  develop  and  cultivate  the  intellectual  faculties 
for  the  purpose  of  enabling  the  child  to  get  on  in  the 
world.  Its  special  task  is  to  bring  out  those  powers  of 
the  child  which  will  make  him  at  maturity  a  strong 
influence  among  his  fellow  men  with  whom  he  daily 
associates.  Whether  he  be  a  blacksmith  or  a  lawyer, 
a  farmer  or  a  teacher,  whatever  his  vocation,  this  prin- 
ciple of  unity — "the  unity  of  law,  of  truth  and  of  life" 
— must  be  the  foundation  upon  which  his  character 
rests. 

A  man  of  great  strength,  one  whom  we  sometimes 
term  a  strong  character,  has  his  whole  soul  buttressed 
upon  the  threefold  basis  of  right  purpose,  right  think- 
ing and  right  living.  Thus  he  falls  into  line  with  the 
civilization  of  his  day.  He  becomes  a  tower  of 
strength  to  his  friends,  an  influence  for  good  in  his 
neighborhood,  a  power  in  every  effort  to  make  life 
better  and  existence  more  desirable. 

It  is  not  usually  possible  for  the    common    school 
teacher  to   enter  upon    an    extended   course   of  child 
study.     The  most  which  you  can  do  under       st  d'' 
the  limitations  which    surround  you  is   to       the  chil- 
observe  children  carefully,  in  the  light  of       ^ren. 
experience  and  in  view  of  the  information  at  your  dis- 
posal.    Native  instinct,  good  common  sense  should  be 
called  continually  to  your  aid.     "I  never  thought  of 
that,"   is  no  excuse  for   having    neglected    important 


8o  Commofi  Sense  Didactics 

considerations  which  affect  the  well  being  of  the  child. 
If  you  are  in  "dead  earnest,"  if  your  soul  is  in  your 
work,  no  mortification  can  be  as  great  to  you  as  to 
realize  that  you  have  made  a  mistake  through  want  of 
thought  and  attention  to  things  which  are  now  as 
evident  to  you  as  the  light  of  day.     (See  page  66.) 

School  teaching  is  not  entirely  different  from  other 
vocations.  The  horse  goes  lame  because  a  heedless 
blacksmith  drives  a  nail  into  the  quick  of  the  hoof. 
The  engine  breaks  because  a  careless  machinist 
neglected  to  test  the  nut  which  held  a  rod  in  its  place. 
The  roof  leaks  because  a  thoughtless  carpenter  laid 
the  shingles  in  a  hurry.  A  child  goes  wrong  physi- 
cally, mentally,  or  morally,  because  an  indifferent  or 
ignorant  teacher  failed  to  note  a  marked  peculiarity, 
or  charged  it  up  to  that  innate  wickedness  which  he 
thought  could  be  best  corrected  by  stern  repression  or 
by  punishment  of  some  kind. 

Children  are  living,  sentient  flesh  and  blood;  they 
have  bodies  to  be  cared  for  and  trained,  minds  to 
learn  and  expand,  hearts  to  love  or  hate,  souls  to 
aspire.  They  read  character  as  a  book;  they  are  quick 
to  respond;  they  meet  distrust  with  distrust;  they  greet 
confidence  with  confidence;  they  measure  out  hate  for 
hate  and  love  for  love.  Of  all  time  in  a  child's  life, 
that  spent  in  school  is  the  most  precious.  No  matter 
how  propitious  the  summer  weather  for  growth,  or  how 
favorable  the  autumn  for  reaping,  if  the  springtime  is 
wasted  there  will  be  no  harvest  to  gather. 

It  is  a  maxim  among  teachers:  "Never  do  .for  a 
child  that  which  he  ought  to  do  for  himself."  But  the 
reverse  is  also  true:  "Never  leave  a  child  to  do  for 
himself  that  which  you  ought  to  do  for  him."  The 
child  when  he  comes  to  school   is  entitled  to  some- 


Ihe    Child  8i 

^.hing.  The  teacher  is  placed  there  and  paid  to  do 
something;  he  is  placed  in  the  schoolroom  for  some 
purpose.  Catalogue  the  usual  requirements  ^^  what  of 
for  a  teacher's  certificate  and  you  will  find  the  chil- 
them  to  be  about  as  follows:  A  little  drenT' 
knowledge  of  certain  branches,  which  are  called  funda- 
mental; a  fairly  moral  character;  ability  to  compel 
pupils  to  learn  their  lessons  and  to  enforce  obedience. 
And  there  are  thousands  of  teachers  in  the  land  whose 
requirements  are  hardly  up  to  this  standard. 

Of  what  use  to  you  or  to  me,  or  to  any  one,  are  facts 
in  history,  truths  of  science,  poetical  fancies,  beautiful 
landscapes,  pictures,  painting,  music,  except  as  we  are 
able  to  assimilate  them  so  that  they  become  an  actual 
part  of  the  living  world  within  us. 

You  remember  that  when  the  Pharisees  questioned 
him  that  aforetime  was  blind  concerning  Christ  he 
answered:  "Whether  he  be  a  sinner  or  no  I  know 
not.  One  thing  I  know  that  whereas  I  was  blind  now 
I  see."  The  one  was  a  speculative,  the  other  a  per- 
sonal experience,  and  no  man  could  take  it  from  him. 
Just  so  the  ideal  teacher  has  a  character  which  is  some- 
thing more  than  a  bundle  of  cold  negations;  it  is 
positive,  bold,  living,  impressing  itself  in  every  way, 
consciously  and  unconsciously,  upon  the  habits  of  the 
pupils  under  his  care. 

In  matters  of  discipline  and  in  methods  of  instruc- 
tion the  ideal  teacher  is  continually  asking  himself, 
"What  of  the  children?"  Unless  you  can  take  that 
spirit  into  the  schoolroom  your  success  will  be  only 
that  of  the  paid  hireling.  It  is  an  honorable  motive  to 
teach  for  the  pay  it  brings  you.  But  there  is  some- 
thing higher  and  more  inspiring  than  that  which  leads 
the  teacher  to  comprehend   the  worth  of  the   child; 

6 


82  Commo7i   Sense  Didact'ici> 

which  enables  him  to  discern  in  every  pupil  that  divine 
spark  which  rags  cannot  cover,  which  squalor  cannot 
conceal,  and  which  poverty  cannot  quench. 

In  the  first  place  the  physical  condition  of  the  child 
will  demand  your  attention.  Here  the  formation  of 
p,  .  J  habits  is  of  prime  importance — habits  of 
needs  of  sitting  at  the  desk,  of  standing  in  the  class, 
the  child.  q£  talking,  of  entering  or  leaving  the 
room.  Especially  should  no  habit  be  formed  which  is 
peculiar  to  the  school  and  which  must  be  broken  up 
at  home  because  awkward  and  disagreeable.  For 
instance,  the  child  should  not  be  taught  to  walk  on 
tiptoe  in  order  to  avoid  a  noise,  or  always  to  raise  the 
hand  before  asking  a  question.  Such  requirements  if 
persisted  in  render  the  child  ridiculous  at  home. 

It  is  part  of  your  business,  so  far  as  possible,  to  see 
that  the  children  are  made  comfortable  while  at 
school.  They  are  naturally  restless,  and  long  con- 
tinued restraint  is  irksome.  A  frequent  change  of 
posture,  a  march  round  the  room,  a  little  recess  of  five 
minutes  during  which  they  may  talk  or  visit  with  each 
other,  a  short  exercise  in  gymnastics  to  start  the  blood, 
— all  are  available  and  at  tmies  most  useful. 

Children  should  be  trained  to  do  things  in  a  quiet 
way;  gentleness  of  manner  and  behavior  should  be 
insisted  upon  by  the  teacher,  but  the  boundless  activ- 
ities of  the  child  will  have  their  way  once  in  a  while  as 
they  ought  to  have.  His  mind  is  also  a  curiosity 
which  the  live  teacher  may  well  study.  Quick  says: 
"The  child's  mind  is  a  delightful  thing  in  the  ideal, 
but  practically  it  is  a  nuisance.  It  goes  on  wondering 
who  is  the  biggest  man  in  the  world,  etc.,  etc.  It 
never  seems  to  have  any  grist  to  grind  and  goes  on 
turning  and   turning  as  if  in   a   hurricane  and  with  no 


The    Child  8j 

sense  results.'  In  the  old-fashioned  courses  of  study- 
there  were  frequently  found  the  words:  "Morals  and 
manners  as  before."  The  direction  needs  to  be  heeded 
in  our  modern  curriculum. 

What  is  it  to  know  a  child?  You  say,  "I  think  I  know 
that  boy  thoroughly."  Now  what  do  you  know  about 
him?  Catalogue  your  knowledge  and  it 
will  be  something 'like  this:  I  know  that  f^eThili 
he  obeys  me  because  he  fears  scolding  or 
whipping;  he  likes  his  arithmetic  but  he  hates 
grammar;  he  is  the  first  boy  out  when  playtime  comes, 
and  the  last  boy  in  when  the  bell  rings.  I  know  that 
he  is  full  of  fun  and  mischief.  If  there  is  any  disturb- 
ance in  his  part  of  the  room  I  at  once  single  him  out 
as  the  author  of  it.  The  other  day  I  caught  him  with 
a  knife  whittling  in  schooltime  a  shingle  which  he 
brought  in  under  his  jacket.  I  used  the  shingle  for  a 
different  purpose  from  what  he  intended.  I  know  him 
and  know  how  to  handle  him. 

But  there  are  some  things  which  you  do  not  know, 
and  regarding  which  perhaps  you  do  not  care.  Do 
you  know  that  he  dislikes  you  heartily  because  you 
have  no  sympathy  with  him  and  blame  him  for  what 
he  cannot  help  without  doing  violence  to  his  boyhood? 
What  do  you  know  of  his  real  nature?  Is  he  brave, 
generous-hearted,  helpful  to  his  mother,  affectionate 
toward  his  brothers  and  sisters?  What  do  you  know 
of  his  home  surroundings,  and  of  the  influences  which 
may  be  warping  his  young  life  out  of  all  shape  and 
symmetry?  Do  you  know  what  he  reads,  where  he 
spends  his  evenings,  who  are  his  boon  companions? 
Do  you  ever  stop  to  seek  for  the  motives  which 
prompt  his  actions?  Have  you  ever  attempted  to  look 
inside  the  boy  and  study  the  ideal  which  is  gradually 


84  Common   Sense  Didac tic s 

though  unconsciously  forming  itself  in  his  mind  and  in 
accordance  with  which  he  will  surely  shape  his  future 
character? 

I  have  enumerated  but  few  things  which  are  neces- 
sary in  order  to  know  this  one  boy.  He  is  a  type  of 
every  child  in  your  school.  If  you  have  forty  pupils 
you  have  forty  different  lessons  to  learn.  It  is  a  great 
deal  to  know  which  children  are  nervous,  which  are 
partially  deaf  or  nearsighted,  and  in  all  possible  ways 
to  repair  or  in  some  degree  to  remedy  the  defect. 
This,  however,  is  not  the  greatest  study  of  the  child. 
(See  page  62.) 

You   have   perhaps   noticed    at   different    times    the 

windows  of  a  great  cathedral.     You  walk  about   the 

c.  ■,  JT  outside;  they  are  dull  and  in  no  way  attract- 
Study  of  '        -^  .... 

the  Inner     ive.       But    when  you  go  mside    and  stand 

^^f^'  upon  the  steps  of  the  chancel,  then  the  skill 

of  the  artist  reveals  itself.  Painted  in  gorgeous  colors 
by  the  light  of  the  sun  you  behold  the  images  of  saints, 
the  cross  and  the  crown,  the  crucifixion  and  the  resur- 
rection, holy  text  and  loving  remembrances  of  departed 
friends.  So  you  know  the  boy's  character  only  when 
you  stand  within,  near  his  heart,  and  study  from  the 
boy's  standpoint  the  pictures  which  life  paints.  In 
this  spirit  Whittier  wrote  The  Barefoot  Boy : 

Blessings  on  thee,  little  man, 
Barefoot  boy  with  cheek  of  tan ; 
With  thy  turned  up  pantaloons, 
And  thy  merry  whistled  tunes ; 
With  thy  red  lips,  redder  still 
Kissed  by  strawberries  on  the  hill ; 
With  the  sunshine  on  thy  face, 
Through  thy  torn  brim's  jaunty  grace; 
From  my  heart  I  give  thee  joy : 
/  was  once  a  barefoot  boy. 


The    Child  8s 

Sometimes  it  seems  to  me  that  to  direct  the  active 
mind  of  childhood  into  right  channels  of  thought,  to 
form  correct  motives  which  lead  to  honest  lives,  to  im- 
plant germs  of  industry,  purity  and  sobriety  which  may 
spring  up  into  everlasting  life,  to  aid  the  child  in  his 
efforts  to  attain  his  ideal  of  greatness  and  usefulness, 
is  more  of  a  miracle  than  it  would  be  to  unstop  the 
ears  of  the  deaf  or  to  unlock  the  tongue  of  the  dumb. 
Herein  is  the  real  study  of  childhood. 

The  child  when  he  first  comes  to  school  has  a  large 
amount   of    knowledge   which    he    has    gained    partly 
through  his  experience  and  partly  through     c,    .     . 
observation.     What  he  has  learned  through     cuid  obser- 
experience  he    remembers,  and    by   it    his    ^«^^*'^^^- 
actions  are  largely  guided.      It  is  a  hard  school  even 
for  little  folks,  but  its  lessons  make  a  deep  impression. 

What  the  child  has  learned  through  observation  has 
come  to  him  by  the  use  of  his  senses.  Dr.  Harris 
calls  these  senses  the  five  windows  of  the' soul.  They 
are  the  gateways  through  which  all  knowledge  of  the 
outside  world  enters  his  mind.  It  is  your  work  to  aid 
nature  in  developing  the  senses.  Something  which  the 
child  sees  awakens  his  curiosity.  He  turns  it  over  in 
his  mind;  he  asks  questions  about  it;  and  he  is  all 
eagerness  to  know  "Why,  and  wherefore,  and  what 
for,"  until  he  is  satisfied  that  he  knows  it  all.  You 
cannot  see  for  him,  he  must  see  for  himself,  and  if  you 
direct  him  rightly  this  is  the  greatest  possible  satisfac- 
tion to  him. 

Perhaps  the  keenest  enjoyment  that  comes  to  the 
child  is  when,  through  the  exercise  of  his  senses,  he 
has  made  a  discovery  for  himself.  By  all  means  give 
him  the  benefit  of  this  pleasure  whenever  you  can.  I 
fear  that  in  many  schools  we  are  unduly  hastening  that 


86  Co?n9no?i   Se?ise  Didactics 

which  nature  intended  should  be  a  slow  process.  The 
teacher,  impatient  of  results,  is  either  doing  the  work 
for  the  child,  or  else  exacting  from  him  a  class  of 
work  which  tends  to  overtax  the  growing  brain.  The 
result  in  either  case  is  equally  disastrous. 

While  regular  exercises  intended  to  train  the  senses 
are  good,  these  should  not  preclude  the  necessity  of 
making  this  matter  a  point  in  every  exercise.  Lessons 
should  be  illustrated  by  what  the  pupils  have  gathered 
for  themselves,  what  they  have  seen  and  heard  on 
their  way  to  and  from  school,  in  the  shop,  on  the  farm, 
by  the  wayside,  and  the  child  should  be  encouraged  to 
talk  of  these  things  before  the  class  or  the  school. 

Jackman,  in  Nature  Study ^  says:  "The  earliest  im- 
pulses toward  goodness  that  come  to  children  from 
nature  probably  arise  from  their  sincere  love  of  the 
beautiful.  What  they  perceive  as  surpassing  loveli- 
ness in  the  flowers  and  in  the  song  of  birds,  they  trans- 
late as  goodness  in  terms  of  their  own  lives."  This  is 
one  source  of  moral  growth. 

Observation  is  the  basis  of  the  thinking  process.  To 
observe  closely  and  accurately  is  to  think  clearly  and 
well.  Spurzheim  says  that  "man  arrives  at  truth  by 
letting  himself  down  to  simple  observation  and  induc- 
tion." 

In  estimating  the  general  ability  of  the  teacher  it  is 

a  matter  of  grave  importance  to  ascertain  whether  his 

senses  have  been  well  trained.     It  is  neces- 

Senses  of  g^j.y  £qj.  ^^^  highest  success  that  each  sense 
the  teacher.       ,        ,  ,     ,  ^, 

should    be    ready    to    meet    an}''   demands 

made  upon  it  in  daily  schoolroom  work.  The  same 
tests  that  are  applied  to  children  to  ascertain  which,  if 
any,  sense  is  defective,  should  be  applied  to  every  can- 
didate for  a  teacher's  position.     We  are  just  awakening 


The    Child  .    87 

to  a  full  realization  of  the  importance  of  sense  training. 
It  is  as  necessary  to  test  the  sense  of  sight  or  hearing 
in  the  candidate  as  it  is  to  test  his  knowledge  of 
arithmetic. 

It  is  certain  that  the  teacher  who  has  been  well 
trained  in  this  respect  will  be  more  apt  to  appreciate 
the  importance  of  cultivating  the  senses  and  to  devise 
ways  for  developing  sense-perception  in  the  child. 
Its  importance  cannot  be  overestimated  in  any  grade 
of  school  work. 

The  order  of  sense  development  is  worthy  of  consid- 
eration. Touch,  sight,  hearing,  taste,  smell,  is  the 
order  given  in  the  books,  yet  this  order  is  not  invari- 
able, nor  ought  we  to  develop  one  sense  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  others.  The  desirable  end  is  such  a 
development  that  each  sense  may  be  an  aid  to  all  the 
others.  Occasionally  it  is  necessary  to  bring  each 
sense  into  use,  or  in  other  words  to  put  each  sense  in 
turn  upon  the  witness  stand,  to  enable  the  individual 
to  obtain  a  clear  conception  of  the  object  under  exam- 
ination. 

Children  differ  very  greatly  in  the  natural  keenness 
of  their  perceptive  faculties.  One  child  notices  every 
peculiarity  of  dress  or  the  color  of  the  eyes  and  hair. 
One  will  observe  many  points  which  entirely  escape 
the  notice  of  a  companion.  The  same  is  true  of  other 
senses.  In  every  school  of  twenty  pupils  are  some 
who  are  defective  in  sight,  or  in  hearing,  or  in  some 
one  sense.  These  children  need  your  especial  care 
and  attention.  Before  you  blame  a  child  for  not 
seeing  be  sure  that  he  can  see;  before  you  blame  him 
for  not  hearing  be  sure  that  he  can  hear.  Test  in 
some  way  the  senses  of  the  deficient  child  and  thus  you 
may  be  able  to  give  him  intelligent  sense-training. 


88  Cotnmon   Se?tse  Didac tic s 

In  training  the  senses  we  must  be  careful  not  to 
arrest  the  child's  mental  development.  Thus  Dr. 
Harris  shows  how  sense-perception,  if  too  highly  culti- 
vated, may  prove  detrimental  to  some  higher  faculty — 
as  to  memory.  We  must  not  keep  the  pupil  too  long 
on  crutches.  There  comes  a  time  when  he  must 
begin  to  deal  with  the  abstract  as  well  as  the  concrete. 
The  observing  teacher  watches  for  this  period,  and 
changes  the  tone  of  instruction  accordingly.  The 
truth  remains,  however,  that  to  the  cnild  who  has  been 
taught  to  observe,  whose  senses  have  been  carefully 
trained,  the  book  of  nature  opens  a  thousand  pages 
upon  every  one  of  which  there  is  a  lesson  of  beauty,  of 
joy,  of  life  itself. 

While  it  is  not  expected  that  any  teacher  will    be  an 

expert  in  psychology,  it  is  well  for  her  to  know  the 

meaning   of   a    few    psychological    terms. 

Psychologi-   Without  some  such  knowledtje  it  is   impos- 
cal  terms-         .,  ,     r         ,  •  .  , 

sible  for  the  progressive  teacher  to  under- 
stand many  articles  in  educational  journals  which  are 
worth  reading;  she  also  is  liable  not  to  grasp  the  full 
meaning  of  lectures  which  she  hears  at  educational 
institutes  and  associations.  In  the  following  paragraphs 
are  included  those  most  commonly  used  in  child  study, 
and  they  should  be  carefully  read  and  studied.  If  you 
have  access  to  an  elementary  psychology  it  will  come 
in  use  here  as  a  reference  book.  Every  teacher 
should  own  one  and  read  it. 

Calkins  says  that  " Se/istitio/js  are  those  brief  influ- 
ences or  impressions  which  external  objects  produce 
upon  the  mind  through  the  special  bodily  organs  of 
sense."  Sensation  is  very  closely  allied  to  perception. 
I  place  my  hand  upon  a  piece  of  ice.  Through  my 
senses  I  have  the  sensation  of  cold.    When  I  withdraw 


TJie   Child  8g 

my  hand  the  sensation  ceases,  but  the  knowledge  thus 
gained  remains. 

Dr.  Noah  Porter  d^fints  perceptio7i  as  "that  power  of 
the  intellect  by  which  it  gains  the  knowl-  <.  .. 
edge  of  material  objects."  This  knowledge  perceptions, 
is  gained  through  the  senses  and  is  called  <^o7iceptions. 
di percept.  "Percept  is  thus  the  simplest  sense-product." 
When  several  of  these  percepts  are  combined  into 
one  general  product,  the  product  is  called  a  concept^ 
and  the  act  of  combining  them,  or  of  synthesis,  is 
called  conceptio7i. 

The  term  apperception  is  often  used  by  educational 
writers.     In  the    simplest  words  possible,  apperception 
is  the  process  by  which  the  mind  calls  upon 
past  experiences  to  aid  it  in  interpreting  a   -^PP^^^^P- 
new  experience. 

We  often  say,  "This  is  a  new  idea  to  me.  I  want 
time  to  think  it  over.  "  In  order  to  reach  a  correct  con- 
clusion we  must  first  call  up  and  consult  such  of  our 
past  experiences  as  bear  upon  the  subject.  It  is  not  a 
new  principle  nor  one  difficult  to  understand.  How 
often  does  the  association  of  a  new  idea  with  those 
already  stored  in  the  mind  throw  a  flood  of  light  upon 
the  entire  subject! 

This  process  of  apperception  is  all  that  makes  our 
past  experience  of  any  value  to  us.  If  the  teacher's 
experience  consists  only  in  doing  to-day  as  he  did  ten 
years  ago,  with  no  new  thoughts,  no  fresh  ideas,  then 
the  more  experience  he  has  the  worse  for  the  schools. 
I  own  that  I  am  sometimes  afraid  of  experienced 
teachers. 

Watt's  lines  have  many  applications: 

Broad  is  the  road  that  leads  to  death 
And  thousands  walk  together  there. 


go  Common   Sense  Didactic s 

But  on  the  other  hand  if  the  teacher  makes  use  of 
the  past  in  order  to  interpret  the  present,  if  in  the 
light  and  heat  of  the  new  he  discovers  the  mistakes 
and  errors  of  the  old  so  as  to  avoid  them,  then  his 
experience  is  the  most  valuable  acquisition  he  can 
possibly  have. 

Before  a  child  enters  school  he  has  powers  of 
thought  fairly  well  developed;  he  reasons,  he  con- 
cludes, he  judges.     We  can  no  more  teach 

Induction;     ^^^  ^^  think  than  we  can  show  him  how  to 
deduction.  .    ,     . 

grow.     He  will  thmk  m  spite  of  us,  as  he 

will  grow  without  our  help.     We  can   surround    him 

with   right  conditions  of  physical  growth   so  that  he 

may  eventually  have  a  strong  body.     We  can  guide 

and    teach    him    so    that    he   may   think   clearly   and 

logically,  and  that  is  an  essential  part  of  the  teacher's 

work.     To  do  this  intelligently  the  teacher  must  be 

able    to   distinguish    clearly    between    induction    and 

deduction. 

By  deduction  we  apply  a  general  truth  to  a  special 
case.  A  simple  illustration  will  make  it  plain.  I 
pick  up  a  piece  of  iron  and  am  desirous  of  knowing 
whether  it  is  a  magnet.  I  know  the  general  truth  that 
all  magnets  attract  iron.  I  expose  this  piece  which  I 
have  in  my  hand  to  a  pile  of  iron  filings  and  find  that 
it  draws  them  to  itself.  I  say  at  once  that  this  is  a 
magnet;  this  conclusion  I  reach  through  a  process 
called  deduction.  I  apply  a  known  general  law  to  this 
particular  case. 

If  on  the  other  hand  we  use  several  related  facts  to 
establish  a  general  law  or  conclusion  we  call  the 
process  induction.  To  use  a  homely  illustration: 
After  a  sleepless  night,  in  socking  for  the  cause  I 
attribute  it  to  the  cup  of  strong  coffee  which  I  drank 


The    Child  gi 

at  an  entertainment  the  evening  before.  The  next 
week  I  make  the  same  experiment  with  the  same 
result.  It  does  not  take  me  long  to  reach  by  ijidtiction 
the  general  rule  or  law  that  a  strong  cup  of  coffee  at 
night  will  break  my  rest  and  I  learn  to  avoid  it.  Again, 
if  it  becomes  necessary  for  any  reason  that  1  should 
remain  awake  all  night  I  have  recourse  to  the  coffee; 
by  deduction  I  infer  that  what  my  experience  has  estab- 
lished as  a  general  law  will  prove  true  in  this  particu- 
lar case. 

To  teach  inductively  requires  careful  thought  and 
special  preparation  on  the  part  of  the  teacher.  No 
rule  here  will  apply  to  every  child.  There  are  children 
with  analytical  minds  who,  from  the  whole,  descend  to 
the  parts.  In  the  common  language  of  the  day  some- 
times "the  how"  can  be  learned  with  [profit,  and  "the 
why"  left  to  be  ascertained  in  the  future.  Every 
experienced  teacher  will  agree  with  this.  In  other 
words,  it  is  not  true  that  the  child  must  never  learn 
anything  which  at  the  time  he  does  not  fully  under- 
stand. 

The  process  of  deduction  and  that  of  induction  are 
often  employed  in  the  same  recitation.     Either  method 
is  capable  of  great  abuse.     Some  teachers     j,,    . 
with   more  zeal   than  wisdom  would  have     conju?ic- 
the  child  discover  everything  for  himself.     ^^^^• 
But  it  remains  true  that  a  large  part  of  the  teacher's 
knowledge    has   been    obtained    through    conversation 
with  others,  or  from  books.     Just  so  that  child  must 
take  much  of  his  knowledge  at  second  hand.     Nor  is 
it  true  that  all  knowledge  comes  to  the  child  through 
his  senses.     He  gains  much  from  the  experience  of  his 
mates.      His   sources    of   knowledge    increase    as    he 
grows  in  years. 


g2  Common   Sense  Didactic s 

The  wise  teacher  pursues  as  far  as  possible  those 
methods  in  instruction  which  the  child  will  use  in  after 
life.  Before  he  comes  to  school  the  little  child  has 
unconsciously  used  all  methods.  It  is  a  wise  teacher 
who  takes  him  at  his  entrance  into  his  room  and 
guides  and  encourages  him,  but  who  does  not  endeav^or 
ruthlessly  to  crowd  him  into  pedagogical  channels  of 
man's  creation.  The  little  child  sometimes  has 
reason  to  pray  to  be  delivered  from  his  friends. 

The  teacher  must  bear  in  mind  that  he  has  to  deal 
with  the  world  in  its  infancy.  The  children  of  the 
Th  Id  P^^^  ^"^  ^^  ^^^  rich,  of  the  learned  and  of 
in  its  the    ignorant,    of    the    wise    and    of    the 

infancy.  foolish,  of  the  pure  and  of  the  vicious,  of 
the  cultured  and  of  the  uncultured,  of  the  tractable 
and  of  the  headstrong,  come  to  him  that  he  may  direct 
and  mould  their  growth.  So  that  perseverance,  and 
persistency,  and  judgment,  and  firmness,  and  decision, 
and  knowledge,  and  faith,  and  prayer — all  fail  him 
unless  he  has  that  rare  insight  into  character  which 
enables  him  to  take  the  common  things  of  life  and 
nature,  and  use  them  as  instruments  by  which  he  may 
stir  the  hidden  impulses  of  the  soul — impulses  which 
Fhall  endure, 

As  long  as  the  river  flows, — 

As  long  as  the  heart  has  passions, 

As  long  as  life  has  woes. 

This  chapter  should  be  carefully  read.  Observation 
is  the  foundation  of  Nature  Study.  The  perceptive 
powers,  when  carefully  developed,  furnish  a  never 
failing  source  of  delight  to  the  child.  Never  repress 
the  curiosity  of  the  child  when  he  asks  you  questions 
regarding  things  he  has  seen  and   heard,   and   never 


The    Child  gj 

treat  with   indifference  any  knowledge  which  he  may 
bring  you  of  things  in  nature  which  he  has  observed. 

"Hasten  the  day  when  teachers  shall  come  to  regard 
more  fully  and  devotedly  the  child's  inherent  right  to 
himself.  He  is  endowed  with  a  personal  property 
which  must  not  be  trespassed  upon.  His  feelings  are 
a  sacred  realm,  and  no  teacher  should  violate  their 
sanctity.  His  right  to  his  own  self-respect  is  some- 
thing inalienable,  and  when  it  has  been  infringed  upon 
and  diminished  a  barrier  to  his  development  toward 
the  higher  life  has  been  erected." 

This  text  is  worthy  careful  consideration — 

A  Little  Child  Shall  Lead  Them. 

Quotations   Worth   Reading 

observation. 

Spencer  does  not  hesitate  to  declare  that  "success  in  all  things 
depends  on  the  power  of  observation." 

— David  P.  Page. 

We  want  to  draw  out  the  child's  interests,  and  to  direct  them 
to  worthy  objects.  We  want  not  only  to  teach  him  but  to 
enable  and  encourage  him  to  teach  himself. 

—R.  H.  Quick. 

Half  of  the  wealth  of  the  world  is  lost  to  most  of  us  from  lack 
of  power  to  perceive.  The  difference  between  so-called  clever 
children  and  intelligent  ones  is  largely  a  difference  in  their  sense- 
perception. 

—Elizabeth  Harrison. 

If  I  ask  myself  what  I  have  done  toward  the  improvement  of 
elementary  instruction,  I  find  that,  in  recognizing  observation  as 
the  absolute  basis  of  all  knowledge,  I  have  established  the  first 
and  most  important  principle  of  instruction. 

—John  Swett. 

A  few  common  fruits,  flowers  and  spices  or  gums  may  be  used 
with  a  view  to  forming  a  habit  of  sharp  discrimination,  quick 
recognition  and  accurate  naming.  The  drill  exercise  should  be 
very  brief,  aiming  at  thoroughness  rather  than  multiplicity,  and 
may  be  alternated  with  lessons  in  form,  color,  place,  number,  etc. 

—  Thomas  T-  Morgan. 


g4  Common   Sense  Didactics 

The  foundation  of  all  knowledge  consists  in  correctly  repre- 
senting sensible  objects  to  our  senses  so  that  they  can  be  compre- 
hended with  facility. 

— Comenius. 

PSYCHOLOGICAL  TERMS. 

Sense-impressions  are  the  original  material  out  of  which  the 
mind,  by  its  elaborative  processes,  constructs  the  whole  fabric  of 
thought, 

— Emerson  E.  IVhtte, 

Perception  supplies  raw  material,  conception  elaborates  crude 
percepts  into  finished  concepts.  Percepts  must  be,  in  order  that 
concepts  may  be.     Here  we  find  the  key  to  correct  teaching. 

—Joseph  Baldwin. 

Percepts  are  stored  in  memory,  and  from  this  accumulated 
store  we  draw  as  we  need.  Out  of  percepts  we  build  concepts; 
but  percepts  themselves  give  us  many  of  our  keenest  pleasures 
and  purest  delights,  as  in  the  colors  of  a  sunset  sky  or  an  October 
forest,  or  in  the  blending  of  musical  tones. 

— Ruric  N.  Roark. 

Many  of  us  cannot  even  tell  the  color  of  the  eyes  of  our  friends 
and  daily  companions.  Carelessness  in  the  observation  of 
common  events  is  just  as  striking ;  we  fail  to  note  the  direction  of 
the  wind,  the  habits  of  animals,  the  arrangement  of  the  stars; 
few  can  tell  how  a  cow  lies  down  or  a  horse  gets  up.  This 
inability  to  see  correctly,  or  to  see  at  all,  is  shown  in  a  practical 
way  in  the  court  room  by  the  failure  of  eye-witnesses  of  objects 
and  events  to  agree  as  to  what  was  seen. 

—Charles  A.  and  Frank  M.  McMurry. 
APPERCEPTION. 

The  word  "apperceive"  is  derived  from  ad,  to,  and  per- 
cepere,  to  grasp  or  to  clasp.  It  literally  signifies  the  grasping  or 
clasping  of  one  thing  to  another,  a  uniting,  adhesive  process. 
But  the  Latin  verb  also  means  to  see  or  perceive:  so  that  taken 
figuratively  apperceive  means  to  see  or  perceive  one  thing  by  way 
of  another,  or  the  coalescence  of  a  new  idea  with  an  old  one  by 
modification. 

—Burk  A.  Hinsdale. 

Apperception  lobbed  of  its  metaphysical  cloak,  is  simply  the 
process  by  which  the  mind  interprets  a  new  experience  by 
bringing  to  bear  upon  it  the  knowledge  gained  in  past  experi- 
ences. Everything  one  learns  becomes  a  part  of  his  mental 
mechanism,  and  as  it  becomes  organized  into  himself  this  new 
self,  with  each  recurring  experience  interprets  and  gives  it  a 
meaning  which  is  always  colored  and  determined  by  the  eflfect 
past  experience,  past  knowledge  has  had  upon  the  self. 

—A.  R.  Taylor. 


The    Child  P5 

The  object,  then,  of  learning-  in  education  is  not  only  to  make 
the  mind  fuller  and  to  enrich  the  understanding,  but  if  the 
instruction  be  of  the  right  kind  the  additional  knowledge  ought  to 
make  the  old  knowledge  more  exact  and  better  defined. 

—  T.  G.  Rooper. 

Many  times  the  new  is  interpreted  by  means  of  the  old  until 
the  mind  becomes  less  dependent  upon  the  latter,  and  gets  the 
meaning  of  the  new  immediately  by  "reading  itself  into  it." 
This  process  is  called  apperception. 

—A.  R.  Taylor. 

Finally  do  not  fall  into  the  heresy  that  children  should  be 
taught  nothing  that  is  beyond  their  comprehension.  Under- 
standing is  a  thing  of  degrees.  No  doubt  too  little  pains  was 
formerly  taken  to  adapt  instruction  to  children,  but  that  is  no 
reason  for  flying  to  the  opposite  extreme  and  measuring  out  every 
idea  and  every  word  according  to  the  child's  present  capacity. 

—Burk  A,  Hinsdale. 
IND  UCTION—DED  UCTION. 

Synthesis  is  made  more  perfect  by  making  analysis  more  com- 
plete, but  when  a  proper  synthesis  is  completed,  there  is  no  need 
for  further  analysis.  Studies  are  termed  analytic  when  the 
analytic  process  is  most  prominent,  and  synthetic  when  the 
synthetic  process  predominates. 

—Francis  B.  Palmer. 

Induction  and  deduction  are  merely  different  forms  of 
reasoning.  Through  particular  truths  we  reach  general  truths. 
This  magnet,  and  this,  and  this,  attract  iron;  since  nature  is 
uniform  we  infer  that  all  magnets  attract  iron.  This  is  inductive 
reasoning.  It  is  inferring  a  general  truth  from  particular  truths. 
Thus  we  think  up  to  principles  and  laws.  We  deduce  particular 
truths  through  general  truths.  Since  all  minerals  gravitate  we 
infer  that  diamonds  gravitate.  This  is  deductive  reasoning.  It 
is  inferring  a  particular  truth  from  general  truths. 

—Selected. 

Induction  proceeds  from  particular  cases  to  the  general  laws  or 
principles  governing  all  such  cases.  It  is  aided  by  observation, 
experience  and  experimentation.  It  furnishes  the  materials  and 
the  general  rules  for  the  solution  of  special  problems  which  may 
present  themselves  in  everyday  life.  "The  method,  rightly 
understood  and  practiced,  leads  straight  to  truth.  It  is  the 
patient,  candid,  impartial,  universal  method  of  modern  science." 

—Ruric  N.  Roark. 

To  insist  upon  beginning  at  the  beginning  in  everything,  to 
cause  the  child  to  trudge  along  the  long  inductive  road,  to  be 
satisfied  with  nothing  short  of  his  learning  everything  by  his  own 
individual  effort,  means  that  the  child  must  be  cut  off  from  the 
past  altogether  and  live  wholly  in  the  present. 

— Burk  A.  Hinsdale. 


g6  Commofi   Se?ise  Didactics 

Questions  for  Examination 

/.  Why  is  it  no  excuse  for  a  teacher  who  has  made  a  mistake 

to  say  **I  never  thought  of  that?" 
2.  What  is  it  to  know  a  child  thoroughly? 
J.  Why  are  the  five  senses  called  "The  five  windows  of  the 

soul?" 

4.  Name  the  usual  order  of  sense-development 

5.  Define  Sensations. 

6.  Define  Perception. 

7.  Define  Apperception. 

8.  Distinguish  between  Deduction  and  Induction. 

9.  Why  is  it  true  that  the  xhild  may  at  times  be  taught  what 

he  does  not  then  fully  understand? 
JO.  What  care  must  be  taken  in  training  the  child  at  school? 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

/.  What  is  consciousness? 

2.  What  is  wrong  in  the  expression,  "Teaching  the  child  to 

think"? 
J.  How  should  you  deal  with  children  defective  in  one  or  more 

of  the  senses? 

4.  How  do  you  deal  with  children  who  have  a  special  aptitude 

for  one  branch? 

5.  Which  study  do  you  think  has  the  greatest  disciplinary 

value? 


CHAPTER    VI 

KNOWLEDGE   MOST  USEFUL  TO  THE 
CHILDREN 

The  Making  of  a  Man 

Diligence,  quiet  and  unfatigued  perseverance,  industry,  regu- 
larity and  economy  of  time,  as  these  are  the  dispositions  I  would 
labor  to  excite,  so  these  are  the  qualities  I  would  warmly 
commend. 

—Hannah  More. 

Wanted  Men. — No  doubt  a  college  boy  will  learn  more  Greek 
and  Latin  if  it  is  generally  understood  that  college  honors  are  to 
be  mainly  awarded  for  proficiency  in  those  languages ;  but  what 
care  we  though  a  man  can  speak  seven  languages,  or  dreams  in 
Hebrew  or  Sanscrit,  because  of  their  familiarity,  if  he  has  never 
learned  the  language  of  sympathy  for  human  suffering,  and  is 
deaf  when  the  voice  of  truth  and  duty  utters  their  holy  mandates? 
We  want  men  who  feel  a  sentiment,  a  consciousness  of  brother- 
hood for  the  whole  human  race.  We  want  men  who  will  instruct 
the  ignorant,  not  delude  them,  who  will  succor  the  weak,  not  prey 
upon  them.  We  want  men  who  will  fly  to  the  moral  breach  when 
the  waters  of  desolation  are  pouring  in  and  who  will  stand  there 
and  if  need  be  die  there,  applause  or  no  applause. 

—Horace  Mann. 

HAVING  considered  some  of  the  things  which 
the  teacher  ought  to  know  it  seems  proper  to 
inquire  what  knowledge  is  of  the  greatest  importance 
to  the  child.  On  an  average  the  school  Relative 
life  of  the  child  does  not  exceed  four  value  of 
years.  Remember  also  that  the  child  is  in 
school  only  about  seven  months  in  a  year,  and  five 
days  in  a  week,  and  you  will  at  once  recognize  the 
necessity  of  avoiding  all  waste  and  of  making  every 
moment  tell  for  his  improvement.  There  is  no  room 
in  the  American  school  for  any  exercise  which  is  not 
7  97 


g8  Common   Sense   Didactics 

intended  for  the  advancement  of  the  pupils  in  one  of 
three  ways:  advancement  in  theic  studies,  growth  of 
character,  or  the  building  up  of  sound  bodies.  What- 
ever is  done  for  show,  for  looks,  for  appearance  only, 
ought  to  be  ruled  out  of  the  curriculum.  Everything 
should  be  excluded  which  does  not  have  a  bearing 
upon  the  growth  of  the  child. 

First  we  will  consider  the  branches  which  probably 
will  be  of  the  greatest  use  to  the  man  in  after  years. 
We  all  concede  that  when  the  pupil  reaches  his  real 
work  in  life  he  must  have  a  certain  amount  of  book 
knowledge  as  a  result  of  his  attendance  at  school. 
The  common  English  branches  as  we  usually  term 
them  are  really  at  the  foundation  of  all  his  future 
acquirements. 

I  desire  to  impress  the  following  point  as  forcibly  as 
I  can.  To  know  how  to  read  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
„  ,.  ^  list  as  the  most  important  acquisition. 
Reading  is  more  than  the  calling  of  words 
arranged  in  logical  order.  It  is  an  art  which  but  few 
possess;  it  is  a  creation,  breathing  life  into  the  dull 
lines  and  bringing  into  bold  relief  the  touches  of  skill 
and  grace  with  which  the  author  has  adorned  his  work. 
To  read  well  orally  is  an  accomplishment,  while  to  be 
a  good  silent  reader,  able  to  penetrate  the  secret  source 
of  the  author's  thought,  is  a  perpetual  delight,  a  means 
of  growth  to  the  mind. 

I  quote  the  following  from  S.  H.  Clark's  How  to 
Teach  Re adijig :  "In  the  words  of  Carlyle:  'What  the 
universities  can  mainly  do  for  you — what  I  have  found 
the  university  did  for  me,  was  that  it  taught  me  to 
read.'  This  remark,  of  course,  applies  to  silent  read- 
ing. A  well-known  college  professor,  in  response  to  a 
school    superintendent's   question   as    to   what   would 


Knowledge  Most  Useful  to  the  Childrefi  gg 

better  the  preparation  of  students  for  college,  replied: 
'Teach  them  how  to  read.'  Another  college  instructor, 
a  learned  authority  on  geology,  remarks  that  he 
finds  occasion  to  say  to  his  classes  about  once  a  month, 
'It's  a  great  thing  to  be  able  to  read  a  page  of  English. ' 
No  one  who  examines  the  reading  in  our  schools  can 
fail  to  be  impressed,  not  so  much  with  the  absence  of 
expressive  power,  as  with  the  absence  of  mental  grasp. 
We  are  so  anxious  to  get  on  that  we  are  content  with 
skimming  the  surface,  and  do  not  take  the  time  to  get 
beneath  it.  The  reading  lesson  should  be  primarily  a 
thinking  lesson,  and  every  shade  of  thought  should  be 
carefully  distinguished  no  matter  how  long  a  time  may 
be  consumed.  The  habit  of  hurrying  over  the  page 
which  is  so  prevalent  is  clearly  an  outgrowth  of  school- 
room methods.  Careless  of  the  future  we  are  too 
prone  to  push  the  pupil  along,  ignoring  the  simplest 
and  most  evident  of  psychological  laws,  that  thought 
comes  by  thinking  and  thinking  takes  time." 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  give  you  directions  for  con- 
ducting a  reading  lesson.  There  are  books  written  for 
this  purpose  which  I  advise  you  to  own  and  study.  I 
can  give  you  no  better  advice  than  this  from  Swett's 
American  Schools: 

"By  short  and  suitable  concert  exercises  pupils 
should  be  trained  to  the  proper  use  of  the  lips,  tongue 
and  teeth  in  distinct  articulation.  Occasional  breathing 
exercises  are  of  great  value  as  an  aid  in  securing  an 
erect  attitude  and  the  free  use  of  the  vocal  organs. 
Occasionally  give  a  drill  exercise  on  words  containing 
vowel  sounds,  giving  special  attention  to  those  sounds 
which  children  in  some  parts  of  our  country  are  apt  to 
give  incorrectly;  such  as  'a'  in  half,  calf  laugh,  etc.; 
intermediate   'a,'  as  in  ask,  last,  past,   after,    etc.;  'u* 


lOO  Common   Sense   Didactics 

after  'r,'  as  in  truth,  nide.fniit,  etc.-  The  school  is  the 
proper  place  for  correcting  provincialisms  in  pronunci- 
ation. Explain  the  essential  diacritical  marks  of  the 
school  dictionary  in  order  that  pupils  may  be  able  to 
find  out  for  themselves  the  correct  pronunciation  of 
words.  Train  pupils  to  refer  to  the  dictionary  for 
definitions  as  well  as  pronunciation." 

So  much  on  the  mechanical  side.  On  the  intellec- 
tual side  care  should  be  taken  to  ascertain,  by  skillful 
questioning,  how  far  the  pupils  have  gathered  the 
thoughts  of  the  author  of  the  piece  which  they  are 
reading.  Most  children  do  not  know  how  to  study  the 
reading  lesson.  You  will  have  to  show  them  by 
reading  the  lesson  for  them  before  they  attempt  to  do 
the  work  for  themselves.  Read  the  lesson  paragraph 
by  paragraph  while  they  accompany  you  closely  in 
their  own  books.  Encourage  them  to  ask  you 
questions.  Give  them  some  suggestions  as  to  emphasis, 
inflection,  thought,  and  leave  much  for  them  to  think 
out  at  their  desks.  Set  them  an  example  which  they 
may  safely  follow  whenever  you  have  occasion  to  read 
to  them  either  for  their  benefit  or  pleasure. 

Young  teachers  are  sometimes  afraid  to  show  a  pupil 
how  the  piece  should  be  read.  They  are  told  at  insti- 
tutes that  they  should  never  do  this,  but 
the  pupil.  should  leave  the  child  to  catch  the  expres- 
sion for  himself.  Imitation  is  one  of  the 
natural  adjuncts  of  childhood,  and  the  teacher  should 
avail  himself  of  it  whenever  necessary.  Do  not  have 
any  hesitation  on  this  point. 

Miss  Sarah  L.  Arnold,  in  Reading:  Hoiv  to  Teach  It, 
says:  "  'Would  you  ever  read  to  children  in  order  to 
help  them  to  get  the  right  expression?'  is  a  question 
which  is  frequently  asked.     By  all  means.     There  is 


Knowledge  Most  Useful  to  the  fhUdteH;y^/.7;Oj^ 

no  other  way  in  which  children  can  form  an  idea  of 
good  reading.  Many  children  hear  no  reading  in  their 
homes.  They  are  accustomed  to  monotonous  speech 
and  to  careless  articulation.  It  is  necessary  to  read  to 
them,  and  to  read  well^  in  order  to  show  them  what 
good  reading  is."  Mark  that  the  words  "to  read  well" 
are  in  italics. 

Something  also  should  be  said  of  the  spiritual  side 
of  the  reading  lesson.  It  is  not  enough  to  get  the 
thought,  but  the  thought  must  be  brought 
out  in  the  tones  and  expression  of  the  tualside'. 
reader.  This  can  be  done  only  as  the 
reader  enters  into  the  spirit  and  feelings  of  the  writer. 
Here,  as  everywhere,  interest  is  the  keynote  of 
success.  For  instance,  in  respect  to  reading  Paul 
Revere' s  Ride  Miss  Arnold  has  this  to  say: 

"Every  effort  should  be  centered  upon  helping  the 
children  to  feel,  to  imagine  the  picture  and  to  sense 
its  depth  of  meaning.  Say  nothing  now  about  holding 
the  book  in  one  hand,  standing  on  both  feet  or  throw- 
ing the  shoulders  back,  but  stir  the  class  to  feel  as 
Paul  Revere  felt,  and  to  tell  the  tale  with  enthusiastic 
pride.  Let  all  the  questions  help  to  make  the  picture 
clearer  and  the  feeling  stronger.  Read  again,  and 
again,  and  again,  until  the  message  becomes  most 
familiar,  but  with  every  reading  more  eager  than 
before.' 

Note  here  that  Miss  Arnold  says  the  piece 
should  be  read  "again,  and  again,  and  again."  He 
is  a  poor  teacher  who  cannot  make  every  reading 
add  to  the  meaning  of  the  piece.  Reading  is  the 
most  important  branch  taught  in  our  public  schools.- 
If  a  child  can  be  proficient  in  but  one  branch,  let  it  be 
reading. 


102  Common   Se?ise  Didactics 

Next  in  importance  to  the  child  is  the  ability  to  use 
the  English  language  correctly.     It    is    a  fact  which 

cannot  well  be  disputed  that  our  schools 
language.      ^^^  ^^^  doing  the  work  in  English  language 

in  a  creditable  manner,  or  at  least  that  we 
are  not  getting  satisfactory  results.  One  reason 
undoubtedly  is  that  teachers  do  not  realize  the 
importance  of  better  instruction  in  these  branches. 
This  is  evident  in  the  poor  spelling,  illegible  hand- 
writing and  faulty  construction  found  in  the  corre- 
spondence of  many  teachers.  Neither  are  the  lower 
schools  the  only  ones  at  fault.  Professors  in  second- 
ary schools,  in  colleges  and  in  universities  fail  woefully 
when  tested  by  the  highest  standards  of  pure  English. 
"I  done  it"  was  used  three  times  by  a  college  profes- 
sor in  discussing  the  best  way  of  teaching  geography. 
A  few  suggestions  may  help  you.  Drill  upon  the 
use  of  capital  letters.     Make  prominent  the  proper  use 

of  the  period,  the  comma  and  the  interro- 
ttons.  gation  point.    The  other  punctuation  marks 

may  come  at  a  later  date.  Paragraphing 
must  not  be  neglected.  The  proper  form  for  begin- 
ning and  ending  a  letter,  or  a  personal  note,  should  be 
impressed  upon  the  class.  It  was  a  specialist,  a 
college  graduate,  an  applicant  for  an  excellent  position 
in  a  leading  high  school  who  signed  himself — "Yours 
respectably."  Do  not  depend  upon  books  or  papers 
for  model  lessons.  These  will  suggest  themselves  to 
you  as  the  fruit  of  your  careful  study.  The  best 
language  book  which  directors  can  introduce  in  the 
schools  is  a  teacher  whose  daily  conversation  is  a 
living  example  of  pure  English.  The  influence  of 
such  a  teacher  goes  far  toward  forming  correct 
language  habits  in  the  children. 


Knoivledge  Most  Useful  to  \t1ie  ."Ckildrt^/f  -  • :  lo:^  \ 

The  teacher  in  any  school  will  find  himself  amply- 
repaid  if  he  will  make  a  careful  study  of  methods  in 
language  instruction.  It  cannot  be  done  by  ^ 
those  who  discard  English  grammar  as  a?i 
abomination.  It  can  be  done  best  by  those  who  have 
made  a  critical  study  of  technical  grammar.  The  most 
helpful  thing  you  could  do  for  yourself  would  be  to 
study  and  thoroughly  master  some  standard  grammar 
of  the  English  language. 

When  a  boy  at  school  I  was  made  to  learn  by  heart 
Goold  Brown's  English  Grammar,  rules,  exceptions 
and  notes.  Possibly  there  was  time  wasted  in  that 
work,  but  I  have  so  often  had  occasion  to  avail  myself 
of  the  knowledge  of  construction  thus  gained  that  I 
have  never  felt  called  upon  to  complain  of  those  who 
required  it  of  me.  In  connection  with  this  we  did  not 
neglect  the  parsing  exercises. 

I  studied  Andrew  and  Stoddard's ^Latin  Grammar  in 
the  same  way,  and  the  knowledge  thus  obtained  is  of 
use  whenever  I  have  occasion  to  translate  a  Latin 
phrase  or  trace  the  derivation  of  words. 

Undoubtedly  there  is  a  better  way  than  this,  but  the 
child  must  have  a  thorough,  painstaking  drill  in 
foundation  principles  if  we  expect  him  to  become 
proficient  in  the  use  of  common  English.  It  is  certain 
that  the  substitution  of  meaningless,  crude  "language 
lessons,"  as  they  are  termed,  for  the  more  rigid  drill 
in  technical  grammar  has  not  proved  a  success  if  we 
judge  by  the  results. 

Again,  simplicity  and  directness  count  for  very 
much  in  the  schoolroom.  A  name  is  a  noun;  call  it  a 
noun  and  not  a  name  word.  Take  it  for  granted  that 
children  are  able  to  comprehend  simple  truths  without 
so  much  circumlocution  of  speech    as  we  sometimes 


104  C{)mmd'7i   Se?ise   Didactic s 

think  necessary.  It  is  characteristic  of  child  nature 
to  go  directly  to  the  point.  We  waste  time  when  we 
thus  trifle  with  children's  brains. 

There  is  no  reason  to  fear  that  spelling  is  becoming 
one  of  the  lost  arts.  Yet  there  is  a  necessity  for  con- 
Sifellzns-  ^^^^^^^  drill,  together  with  a  critical  study  of 
\\\^  spelling  lesson.  The  notion  that  spelling 
can  best  be  taught  incidentally  in  connection  with 
other  lessons  is  responsible  for  an  immense  amount  of 
mischief.  The  spelling  lesson  should  have  its  appro- 
priate place  on  the  daily  program,  and  you  should  give 
it  the  same  attention  you  give  to  other  important 
branches.  In  teaching  spelling  appeal  to  both  the  eye 
and  the  ear.  While  Webster's  Old  Blue  Spelling  Book 
has  done  much  good  in  its  day  and  generation  it  has 
also  occasioned  much  loss  of  time  and  a  vast  amount 
of  useless  study.  The  technical  terms  and  the  long 
complicated  words  of  five  or  six  syllables  which  are 
seldom  if  ever  used  in  the  ordinary  business  of  life 
should  claim  no  part  of  the  attention  given  to  the 
spelling  exercise. 

Oral  spelling  is  not  to  be  discarded.  It  serves  a  very 
important  purpose  in  fixing  the  form  of  the  word  in 
the  child's  mind.  The  same  is  true  of  the  written 
exercises  in  spelling.  For  the  older  pupils  this  is  inval- 
uable. ^-^itXX.m  \\\'^  Methods  of  Teaching,  '=>7i.y's\  "Make 
a  judicious  combination  of  oral  spelling  with  written 
exercises.  Oral  spelling  secures  correct  pronunciation 
and  awakens  a  keener  interest  in  pupils;  written  spell- 
ing is  the  more  practical,  but  is  apt  to  become  weari- 
some if  carried  on  exclusively." 

Every  pupil  who  passes  under  your  instruction 
has  a  right  to  complain  if  he  is  not  trained  so  that 
he   can  write    a    letter  or  make  an  application    for  a 


Kfiowledge  Most  Useful  to  the  Childre?i         lOj 

position  without  misspelling  words  which  are  in  daily 
use. 

He  should  be  able  to  write  a  legible  hand  and  with  a 
fair  degree  of  rapidity.  These  are  the  two  essential 
points.     It   makes    little   difference   under 

•  •  •  P£'ft7yt/zft~ 

what  peculiar  system  of  penmanship  he  is  ship. 
trained.  As  soon  as  he  is  left  to  himself  he 
will  develop  his  own  natural  style.  There  is  nothing 
which  is  more«  characteristic  of  a  man  than  his  hand- 
writing. Do  not,  however,  allow  your  pupils  in  their 
writing  exercises  to  scribble  carelessly  and  in  haste. 
Insist  that  each  paper  shall  be  the  best  in  penmanship 
which  that  pupil  can  do,  and  accept  nothing  less  than 
that.  Help  him  to  develop  his  own  handwriting 
along  the  lines  which  will  be  valuable  to  him  as  a 
business  man.  Point  out  the  faults  of  his  style.  Have 
him  compare  his  penmanship  with  that  of  others; 
excite  his  ambition,  first  as  to  legibility,  then  as  to 
rapidity,  and  let  him  work  out  his  own  salvation.  The 
large  amount  of  written  work  required  of  the  pupil 
will,  unless  carefully  watched,  do  more  than  any  other 
one  thing  to  demoralize  his  penmanship. 

The  study  of  history  is  attracting  much  attention 
among  teachers.  As  usually  treated  it  becomes  only 
a  skeleton  with  grinning  skull  and  rattling  j,. 

bones.  It  is  composed  largely  of  dates  and 
unimportant  particulars.  There  is  nothing  real  about 
it.  Pages  are  devoted  to  insignificant  battles,  or 
unimportant  settlements,  while  a  few  lines  suffice  to 
portray  the  character  of  such  men  as  Horace  Greeley, 
Daniel  Webster,  Samuel  Adams  or  Patrick  Henry. 
And  yet  biography  makes  history  and  should  not  be 
neglected. 

Can  you  not   manage   to   clothe   this  skeleton  with 


io6  Common   Se?ise  Didactics 

living  words  and  make  it  instinct  with  life  and  holy 
patriotism?  The  teacher  of  history  should  be  a  word 
painter. 

Picture  for  them  the  scene  at  Lexington.  The  class 
should  be  made  to  hear  the  drum  and  the  shrill  fifes,  to 
behold  the  British  red-coats  as  they  line  up  on  the 
village  green,  to  hear  the  hoarse  command  of  the 
British  major:  "Throw  down  your  arms,  ye  rebels; 
throw  down  your  arms  and  disperse!"  followed  by  the 
quick,  sharp  order:  "Ready,  aim — fire."  Make  them 
see  the  patriots,  one  here  and  another  there,  and  still 
another  there,  as  they  fall  out  of  the  ranks  and  bedew 
the  sod  with  the  first  blood  shed  in  defence  of  Ameri- 
can liberty.     Again  at  Concord! 

By  the  rude  bridge  that  spanned  the  flood, 

Their  flag  to  April  breeze  unfurled, 
'Twas  there  the  embattled  farmers  stood 

And  fired  the  shot  heard  round  the  world. 

The  pupils  should  be  able  to  see  in  clear  outline  the 
rude  bridge  and  the  farmers,  each  with  his  musket, 
drawn  up  to  dispute  the  passage  of  the  enemy.  Let 
them  follow  the  retreat  of  the  British  and  hear  the 
crack  of  the  guns  from  the  covert  of  every  haystack, 
out  of  every  home,  from  behind  trees  and  stone  walls, 
until  the  weary  troops,  with  tongues  hanging  out  of 
their  mouths,  like  hunted  deer,  are  barely  saved  from 
capture  by  reenforcements  sent  from  Boston  to  meet 
them. 

In  this  way  the  teacher  who  is  master  of  the  subject 
makes  history  a  living  reality. 

The  history  lesson  should  have  three  points  in  view: 
(a)  to  impart  information;  (b)  to  foster  a  healthy 
national  pride;  (c)  to  cultivate  a  taste  for  historical 
reading. 


K?iowledge  Most  Useful  to  the  Children         loy 

Every  citizen  should  have  a  knowledge  of  the  gov- 
ernment under  which  he   lives.     This    knowledge  he 
must    acquire,   in   part,    technically  in    the 
schools.     And  yet  it  is  a  question  whether  civics. 
teaching    civics    formally    in    the    grades 
below  the  high  school  is  not  a  misuse  of  time.     How 
little  of  civics  as  taught  in  school   is  understood   by 
children  is  well  illustrated  in  this  story: 

Some  years  ago  a  lady  residing  in  Washington  told 
me  that  they  had  visiting  them  a  young  lady  from  the 
east  who  had  been  well  instructed  in  the  best  schools 
and  had  studied  especially  history  and  civics.  As  in 
duty  bound  they  exhibited  to  her  all  the  sights  in 
Washington;  went  with  her  to  the  capitol,  visited  the 
Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  which  happened 
then  to  be  in  session,  pointed  out  notable  men,  and  so 
on.  After  her  visit  was  finished  and  she  had  returned 
home  she  wrote  them  a  letter  of  thanks,  in  which  she 
said  that  while  she  greatly  enjoyed  her  trip  and 
especially  her  visit  to  the  capitol,  she  should  never 
cease  to  lament  that  she  had  failed  to  see  Congress. 

The  above  was  related  to  me  by  one  in  whose  word 
I  have  perfect  confidence. 

A  little  twelve-year-old  girl  who  "took  civics"  in  the 
seventh  grade  expressed  her  disgust  when  she  said, 
*Tt  is  all  bosh  to  me."  The  text-book  should  be 
reserved  for  the  higher  grades.  There  is  very  much, 
however,  which  you  can  do  orally.  The  duties  of  the 
ofifice,  but  not  the  name  of  the  present  officer  in  state 
and  national  politics,  may  be  learned.  The  office  is 
permanent;  the  officer  changes.  The  Australian  ballot 
is  easily  explained  in  a  general  way,  not  in  all  its 
minutia,  by  the  use  of  a  ticket  prepared  for  some 
election.     The  duties  of  a  presiding  officer  and  of  a 


io8  Common   Sense   Didacti 


c  s 


secretary,  the  proper  mode  of  making  motions  ana  of 
putting  them,  and  other  matters,  may  be  gathered  by 
organizing  the  school  into  a  debating  club  each  Friday 
afternoon.  If  you  are  in  earnest  your  ingenuity  will 
devise  ways  of  interesting  your  pupils  in  this  work. 

After  all  the  best  work  you  can  do  in  this  line  is  to 
impress  upon  the  pupils  the  dignity  of  American  citi- 
zenship and  the  responsibility  of  the  American  voter. 
This  can  be  done  in  various  ways,  but  particularly  in 
connection  with  history  and  the  reading  lesson. 

The  pupil  should  be  constantly  reminded  of  the  pos- 
sibilities of  life  in  a  republic.  At  the  same  time  he 
should  be  cautioned  against  expecting 
of  life.  unreasonable  things  of  himself.     Many  a 

man  has  gone  through  life  sour,  sulky,  dis- 
appointed, growling,  grumbling  and  kicking  because 
in  his  youth  his  parents  and  teachers  excited  his 
ambition  far  beyond  what  could  reasonably  be 
expected  of  his  talents.  The  child  must  learn  from 
his  teacher  and  from  school  life  that  some  knowl- 
edge is  for  some  men;  other  knowledge  is  for  other 
men;  but  all  knowledge  is  not  for  any  one  man.  (See 
page  84.) 

In  teaching  arithmetic  no  late  treatise,  as  far  as  I 

have  seen,  has  made  any  improvement  upon  the  fol- 

.,       .      lowing  statement  of   principles  taken  from 

Methods  of  Imtruction,  by  J.  P.  Wickersham: 

"Before  proceeding  to  describe  these  methods  it 
may  be  well  to  state  the  principal  ends  for  which 
arithmetic  is  studied  and  the  most  necessary  condi- 
tions of  their  attainment.  These  ends  are:  First,  to 
obtain  a  knowledge  of  the  properties  of  numbers; 
second,  to  give  practice  in  mathematical  reasoning; 
third,  to  attain  precision  in  the  use  of  language,  and 


Knowledge  Most  Useful  to  the  Children         log 

fourth,  to  secure  skill  in  the  application  of  numbers  to 
the  concerns  of  life.  There  are  several  secondary 
ends  which  must  not  be  overlooked.  Among  them  the 
following:  First,  rapidity  and  accuracy  in  the  solution 
of  problems;  second,  skill  in  the  use  of  abbreviating 
artifices;  third,  an  acquaintance  with  methods  of 
proof.  The  following  may  be  named  as  the  most 
necessary  conditions  for  the  attainment  of  these  ends: 
First,  the  object-matter  of  the  science  should  be  dis- 
tributed in  a  logical  order;  second,  pupils  should 
commence  with  the  simplest  arithmetical  operation 
and  be  thoroughly  grounded  in  each  step  of  their 
progress  before  taking  another;  third,  arithmetical 
definitions  and  rules  should  be  understood  by  pupils 
before  they  are  required  to  use  them  [sometimes  the 
understanding  comes  through  the  using.  —  Ed.]; 
fourth,  pupils  should  be  taught  to  explain  their  work 
in  clear,  concise  and  appropriate  language;  fifth, 
numerous  well-graded,  skillfully  varied  problems, 
embodying  every  principle  learned  should  furnish 
ample  opportunity  to  pupils  for  making  a  practical 
application  of  their  theoretical  knowledge." 

If  I  were  to  add  anything  it  would  be  the  following 
directions:  First,  do  not  waste  time  in  teaching  pupils 
to  read  and  write  very  large  numbers,  as  billions, 
trillions,  etc.;  second,  use  fractions  with  small  denom- 
inators. Nearly  all  the  fractions  used  in  business  are 
halves,  thirds,  fourths,  fifths  and  sixths,  excepting,  of 
course,  decimals.  Such  fractions,  moreover,  as  far  as 
possible  should  be  manipulated  orally;  third,  carry  on 
oral  and  written  arithmetic  together  at  every  recita- 
tion, even  though  you  have  oral  arithmetic  as  a  sepa- 
rate exercise.  Encourage  the  use  of  short  methods — 
abbreviated  is  a  better  word.     Economy  of  time  and 


no  Co  mm 0  71   Se?ise  Didactics 

space    is   desirable    in    solving    problems.      Do    not 

neglect  oral  arithmetic. 
These  rules  may  be  of  use  to  primary  teachers: 
I.   Do  not  hurry  the  child  in  his  number  work  during 

jtr^^  the  first  two  years  of  school  life. 

primary  2.   Give  the  child  full  credit  for  what  he 

already  knows  of  numbers,  and  use  it  as  a 

foundation  upon  which  to  build. 

3.  Do  not  use  long  and  wordy  formulas.  The 
hences,  the  whences,  the  therefores,  the  wherefores 
are  as  meaningless  to  the  child  as  so  many  Hebrew 
words  would  be. 

4.  I  quote  from  J.  M.  Greenwood,  of  Kansas  City: 
"Let  it  be  kept  constantly  in  mind  that  these  things 
(blocks,  marbles,  etc.)  are  helps  only,  and  as  soon  as 
the  child  can  work  without,  they  should  be  cast  aside." 
I  believe  that  much  earlier  than  we  think  the  child 
ought  to  pass  from  concrete  numbers  to  abstract. 

5.  The  use  of  measures  and  rulers  and  weights  has  a 
certain  value  in  teaching  arithmetic,  but  their  con- 
tinued use  in  the  upper  grades  has  a  tendency  to  make 
the  pupil  slow  and  uncertain  in  his  mathematical  work. 
Teachers  show  the  result  of  such  training  in  school  in 
the  length  of  time  it  takes  them  to  write  up  an  arith- 
metic paper  of  ten  simple  questions.  A  very  common 
excuse  for  failure  in  examination  is:  "I.  could  have 
worked  them  all  if  I  had  had  more  time." 

The  rule  as  the  child  progresses  should  be:  Less  of 
the  concrete  and  more  of  the  abstract  until  he  has  no 
more  occasion  for  thinking  blocks  and  things  than  he 
has  for  counting  his  fingers. 

In  geography  study  modern  methods  as  far  as  prac- 
ticable. There  is  no  study  more  inviting  to  an  ingen- 
ious   teacher   than    this.      The    miniature    hifls    and 


Knowledge  Most  Useful  to  the  Childre?i         iii 

valleys  in  the  sand  box;  the  streams  which  the  chil- 
dren cross  in  coming  to  school;  the  landscape  about 
the  school  building;  the  direction  of  differ-   ^  . , 

ent  houses  and  churches,  and  a  large  amount 
of  other  material  are  available  in  rendering  geography 
interesting  to  little  children. 

For  the  older  pupils  mathematical,  political  and 
commercial  geography  is  taking  the  place  once  filled 
by  dry  details  and  unimportant  facts.  In  these  days 
when  the  ends  of  the  earth  are  brought  together  and 
we  are  exchanging  our  products  for  those  of  nearly 
every  nation,  the  commercial  relations  which  we  bear  to 
other  countries  ought  to  be,  if  rightly  handled,  of 
great  interest  to  both  pupils  and  teacher. 

Comparatively  few  teachers  have  been  trained  to 
instruct  in  geography  by  the  laboratory  method.  The 
great  rtiajority  of  them  will  continue  for  years  to 
teach  in  the  old-fashioned  way.  For  that  reason  I 
have  ventured  to  condense  some  ideas  which  I  have 
gathered  from  a  paper  by  the  United  States  Commis- 
sioner of  Education. 

Dr.  Harris  shows  very  plainly  how  much  there  may 
be  in  geography  in  the  elementary  schools  under  what 
is  admitted  to  be  a  poor  quality  of  instruc-  j[)^ 
tion  and  a  very  inadequate  text-book.  Harris' 
The  average  child  will  obtain  a  pretty  vivid  ^^^^^^  '^^^' 
notion  of  the  shape  of  the  earth.  He  will  connect 
with  it  the  idea  that  the  earth  is  one  of  the  bodies 
which  move  around  the  sun.  Then  follow  the  ideas  of 
latitude  and  longitude  which  are  intended  to  determine 
the  location  of  any  place  with  reference  to  base  lines 
like  the  equator  or  like  the  first  meridian. 

He  will  have  a  general  id^a  that  the  United  States 
in  which  he  lives  is  in  north  latitude,  and  nearly  all  of 


112  Co  mm  0  71   Sense  Didactics 

Europe  in  east  longitude  as  compared  with  the  merid- 
ian of  Greenwich,  It  is  more  important,  he  says,  to 
the  individual  to  know  that  Brazil  is  in  south  latitude 
than  it  is  to  know  that  the  mouth  of  the  Amazon  is  on 
the  equator,  and  that  the  capital  of  Brazil  is  about 
twenty-three  degrees  south.  These  general  ideas 
which  the  child  learns  are  remembered.  The  specific 
ideas,  unless  exceedingly  important,  very  soon  pass 
out  of  his  mind. 

Then  come  the  mental  images  of  the  territories  occu- 
pied by  states  and  nations.  He  ought  to  have  some 
notion  of  the  shapes,  boundaries  and  general  positions 
of  the  states  of  his  own  country.  For  myself  I  cannot 
help  believing  that  there  was  some  benefit  in  the 
outline  maps  which  children  were  compelled  to  study 
years  ago.  They  certainly  helped  fix  these  forms  of 
the  contour  of  continents  and  states  in  the  mind,  and 
I  find  them  of  value  to  me  in  my  reading  to-day. 

There  is,  moreover,  a  class  of  geographical  knowl- 
edge which  relates  to  the  formation  and  modification 
of  the  features  of  land  and  water.  The  child  learns 
something  in  respect  to  the  sources  and  outlets  of 
rivers  and  of  their  navigability  and  usefulness.  He 
obtains  the  general  information  regarding  lakes,  high- 
lands and  lowlands  and  the  trend  of  mountain  chains. 
The  child  who  studies  geography  in  the  way  indicated 
in  the  ordinary  text-book  cannot  fail  to  notice  the 
climate  and  the  dependence  upon  it  of  the  fertility  of 
the  soil.  He  finds  some  typical  facts  in  relation  to 
heat  and  cold.  He  learns  how  altitude  above  the  sea 
level  affects  the  temperature.  If  explanation  is  given 
in  one  case  he  generalizes  it  and  applies  it  to  other 
countries.  * 

Then  throuf^h  this  superficial  study  of  the  book  he 


Knowledge  Most  Useful  to  the  Children         iij 

absorbs  something  of  the  diversity  of  labor  over  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  of  that  commerce  which  exists 
between  nations  by  which  things  are  carried  from 
where  they  are  worthless  to  where  they  are  pre- 
cious. In  other  words,  from  where  they  are  of  little 
value  to  places  where  they  afford  a  good  profit  to  the 
seller. 

Then  follow  the  occupations  of  men,  the  different 
races  of  men,  the  governments  of  the  several  countries, 
the  beasts,  and  through  all  these  means  his  memory  is 
assisted  in  retaining  the  dryer  but  more  essential  facts 
of  geography. 

I  have  quoted  as  briefly  as  possible  this  condensed 
statement  because  there  is  a  feeling  that  the  study 
and  teaching  of  geography  in  the  way  most  prevalent 
is  absolutely  a  waste  of  time.  I  have  endeavored  to 
show  you  some  of  the  things  which  you  ought  to 
emphasize  in  geographical  teaching.  You  will  find 
extracts  from  Dr.  Harris  in  the  notes  to  this  chapter. 
They  are  worth  your  reading. 

That  training  is  faulty  which  does  not  cultivate  in  the 

child  a  desire  for  knowledge.     Every  recitation  should 

be  a  stimulant,  every  hour  spent  in  study 

u      1 J  •  i.*  i.     i-u       ^^^  desire 

should  prove  an  mcentive,  every  new  truth     /^  know. 

gained  from  any  source  should  be  an  added 

strength,  so  that  the  duties  of  life  may  not  quench  his 

ambition,  nor  the  severities  of  toil  dethrone  h«s  ideal. 

Curiosity  is  the  term  which  we  often  apply  in  speaking 

of  small  children;  in  the  case  of  older  pupils  and  of 

adults  it  is  rather  the  pleasure  which  comes  to  one  in- 

the   acquisition    of   knowledge;    the   consciousness  of 

increased  strength  which  always  is  present  with  one 

who  has  overcome  great  obstacles  in  the  way  of  his 

advancement. 


114  Commofi   Sefise   Didactics 

Horace  Mann  writes  thus: 

"Every  new  idea  that  enters  into  the  presence  of  the 
sovereign  mind  carries  offerings  of  delight  with  it,  to 
make  its  coming  welcome.  Indeed  our  Maker  created 
us  in  blank  ignorance  for  the  very  purpose  of  giving  us 
the  boundless,  endless  pleasure  of  learning  new  things. ' ' 

But  it  is  not  intellectual  knowledge  alone  which  the 
man  will  need;  he  must  1<now  how  to  use  his  hands. 
They  must  be  made  useful,  as  the  servants 
Eye  and  q£  ^^^  brain,  in  order  that  thought  may 
find  a  tangible  expression  for  itself.  The 
employment  of  the  jack  knife  for  legitimate  purposes 
ought  to  be  encouraged  in  the  school.  The  boy  who 
is  whittling  out  his  idea — it  may  be  only  a  stick  with 
notches  to  hold  the  window  at  various  heights,  or  a 
puzzle  for  the  amusement  or  perplexity  of  his  mates,  or 
a  simple  piece  of  apparatus  to  illustrate  some  experi- 
ment in  physics — has  a  faculty  which  may  grow  and 
make  him  a  useful  man  in  his  generation. 

There  is  just  as  much  need  of  men  who  can  mend  a 
wagon,  or  shoe  a  horse,  or  patch  a  roof,  or  repair  the 
front-door  lock  as  there  is  of  men  who  astonish  the 
world  by  the  brilliancy  of  their  inventions. 

It  is  not  yet  possible  to  introduce  manual  training  in 
every  school,  but  the  teacher  should  feel  the  necessity 
of  encouraging  deftness  and  skill  in  the  use 
trcUning.  ^^  ^^  hand,  even  in  so  small  a  matter  as 
sharpening  a  lead  pencil  so  as  to  protect 
the  lead,  or  in  repairing  a  broken  slate  frame.  The 
boy  who  has  acquired  the  habit  of  "making  himself 
handy"  about  the  house  or  barn  at  home  is  being  edu- 
cated in  a  most  practical  way. 

L.  D.  Harvey  says:  "It  is  the  ambition  of  every 
boy  at  a  very  early  age  to  become  the  owner  of  a 


Knowledge  Most  Useful  to  the  Childre?i  115 

pocket  knife.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  the  pocket 
knife  is  the  tool  which  for  him  furnishes  the  largest 
opportunities  for  the  exercise  of  his  inherent  desire  to 
do.  No  one  thinks  of  denying  him  the  pocket  knife 
because  of  the  fear  that  its  use  will  compel  him  to 
become  a  mere  whittler,  but  on  the  contrary  the 
thoughtful  parent  will  furnish  it  because  of  its  value  as 
an  instrument  in  the  training  of  the  child's  manual 
and  mental  powers." 

In  these  days  of  sewing  machines  there  is  danger 
that  hand  sewing  will  become  a  lost  art,  yet  the  girl 
may  find  herself  in  a  position  where  no  sewing  machine 
can  be  had  and  then  her  hand  must  do  the  work  for 
herself  or  her  friends.  Furthermore  the  eye  must  be 
trained  to  aid  the  hand  in  its  work.  It  is  something 
for  the  eye  to  be  able  to  distinguish  colors;  it  is  some- 
thing for  the  hand  to  trace  on  paper  the  design  con- 
ceived by  the  brain;  but  the  joint  culture  of  the  eye 
and  the  hand  is  necessary  in  order  to  produce  the 
design  in  material  form. 

I  have  dwelt  upon  this  point  for  a  moment  in  order 
to  induce  the  teacher  to  think  how  great  a  work  there 
is  to  be  done  along  these  lines  of  giving  the  child  the 
complete  use  of  his  eyes  and  his  hands. 

I  hope  this  book  will  be  read  by  some  whose  good 
fortune  it  is  to  teach  in  the  midst  of  rural  surroundings. 
Nature  has  a  thousand  voices  for  those  who 
have  ears  to  hear;  beautiful  things  beyond      teachers. 
number  for  those  who  have  eyes   to   see. 
Knowledge  presents  itself  in  its  most  attractive  form 
to  the  child  who   is  early  accustomed   to  search   for 
it    in    pasture    and    stream    and    garden  —  among   all 
living  things  that  frequent  the   forest  and  the  road- 
side. 


ii6  Common   Sense  Didactic s 

George  B.  Emerson,  in  his  lifetime  one  of  the  fore- 
most of  Boston  schoolmasters,  writes  thus  of  his  child- 
hood: 

"As  my  father  was  a  person  of  great  public  spirit,  he 
was  usually  chairman  of  the  school  committee  and 
took  care  that  there  should  always  be  a  well-educated 
man  as  master  of  the  school.  Notwithstanding  its 
excellence  my  elder  brother  and  myself  were  always, 
after  I  reached  the  age  of  eight  years,  kept  at  home 
and  set  to  work  as  early  in  the  season  as  there  was 
anything  to  be  done  in  the  garden  or  on  our  little  farm. 
I  thus  gradually  became  acquainted  with  sowing, 
weeding  and  harvesting,  and  with  the  seeds,  the 
sprouting  and  growth  of  the  leaves,  the  formation  of 
the  blossoms,  their  flowering,  the  calyx,  the  petals, 
their  times  of  opening,  coming  to  perfection,  persist- 
ence of  falling  and  the  successive  changes  in  the  seed- 
vessels  till  the  maturity  of  the  seed,  of  all  the  plants  of 
the  garden  and  the  field.  I  became  also  familiarly 
acquainted  with  all  the  weeds  and  their  roots  and  the 
modes  of  preventing  their  doing  harm.  I  was 
getting  real  knowledge  of  things;  I  formed  the 
habit  of  observing.  This  was  always  valuable  knowl- 
edge, the  use  of  which  I  felt  afterwards  when  I 
began  to  study  botany  as  a  science,  and  as  long  as 
I  pursued  it;  for  reading  the  description  of  a  plant 
I  saw  not  the  words  of  the  book  but  the  roots  and 
stems  and  leaves  and  flowers  and  seeds  of  the  plant 
itself.  And  this  habit  of  careful  observation  I  natur- 
ally extended  to  whatever  was  the  subject  of  my  read- 
ing or  study. 

"This  was  valuable,  but  I  made  another  attainment 
of  still  greater  value.  I  learned  how  to  use  every  tool, 
spade  and  shovel,   hoe,  fork,   rake,  knife,  sickle  and 


Knozvledge  Most  Useful  to  the  Children         ii'j 

scythe,  and  to  like  to  use  them.     I  learned  the  use  of 

all  my  limbs  and  muscles,   and  to  enjoy  using  them. 

Labor  was  never  then  nor  afterwards  a  hardship.     I 

was  not  confined  to  the  garden  and  field.     I  had  to 

take  care  of  horses,  cows,  sheep  and  fowls,  and  early 

learned  their  character  and  habits,  and  that  to  make 

them  all  safe  and  kind  and  fond  of  me  it  was  only 

necessary  to  be  kind  to  them." 

In  the  appendix  to  the  Report  of  the  Committee  of 

Twelve  on  Rural  Schools,   Francis  W.  Parker  writes: 

"The  statement  of  what  a  farm  does  for  a   ^     ... 

Quotation 

boy  in  its  general  Imes  may  easily  be  taken  from 
from  the  experience  of  a  farm  boy  in  New  ^^^^^^  ^' 
England,  for  instance.  As  soon  as  he 
found  himself  upon  the  farm  at  eight  years  of  age  he 
began  to  study — to  study  in  the  best  sense  of  that 
much-abused  word.  He  began  the  study  of  geography 
— real  geography.  He  observed  with  ever-increasing 
interest  the  hills,  valleys,  springs,  swamps  and  brooks 
upon  the  old  farm.  The  topography  of  the  land  was 
clear  and  distinct;  its  divisions  into  field,  pastures  and 
forests  were  to  him  the  commonest  facts  of  experi- 
ence. 

"He  studied  botany.  All  the  kinds  of  grasses  he 
knew — timothy,  clover,  red  top,  silver  grass,  pigeon 
grass;  how  they  were  sown,  how  they  came  up,  grew, 
were  cut,  cured  and  fed  to  the  cattle;  what  kind  of  hay 
was  best  for  sheep,  and  what  for  oxen.  .  .  .  He  knew 
the  trees,  the  maple  with  its  sweet  burden  of  spring, 
the  hemlock  and  the  straight  pine  which  he  used 
to  climb  for  crows'  nests.  He  knew  the  wild  ani- 
mals, the  squirrels,  the  rabbits,  the  woodchucks; 
the  insects,  the  grasshoppers  and  ants;  bugs  that 
scurried  away    when    he    lifted    a    stone.     With    the 


Ii8  Common   Sense  Didactics 

birds  he  was  intimately  acquainted.  He  lived  to 
become  a  school  teacher,  and  taught  school  earnestly 
and  bunglingly  for  twenty  years  before  he  had  even 
a  suspicion  of  the  value  of  his  farm  life  and  farm 
work." 

The  thoughtful,  ingenious  teacher  will  find  many 
opportunities  for  training  the  eye  and  cultivating  the 
use  of  the  hand,  thus  aiding  in  bringing  the  body  into 
subjection  to  the  mind.  No  rules  can  be  laid  down  for 
his  guidance;  he  must  contrive  ways  for  himself.  The 
penmanship  lesson,  drawing,  blackboard  exercises,  the 
degree  of  neatness  or  orderly  arrangement  of  examples 
placed  on  the  board,  accuracy  in  map-drawing,  all  are 
in  their  way  suggestive. 

Lastly,  the  pupil  must  not  be  left  in  ignorance  of 

the  laws  of  healthful  living.     This  includes  cleanliness 

of  person,  the  laws  of  sanitation,  wholesome 
Laws  of  !•   i     i  J    •    J-   • 

health.  <^^^^    temperance   and   judicious    exercise. 

Very  little  information  concerning  the  great 

principles   upon    the   practice    of    which    health    and 

strength  depend  is  fixed  in  the  mind  of  the  pupil  when 

he  leaves  school.     This  ought  not  to  be  so.     The  fault 

is  with  the  public.     We  expect  from  the  teacher  great 

things  in  the  intellectual  growth   of  the  school;  we 

demand  but  little,  if  anything,  of  him  in  the  physical 

training  of  the  children  under  his  care.     The  entire 

system  is  wrong.     The  order  of  procedure  should  be, 

first,  moral,  then  physical,  and  ultimately,  intellectual 

training.     (See  page  82.) 

There  is  also  demanded,  as  part  of  the  child's  outfit 
for  life,  knowledge  of  right  choice  when  principle  is 
involved.  It  is  that  inward  grace  of  backbone  which 
the  times  require  of  every  true  man. 

Last  of  all,  be  sure  that  he  has  such  understanding 


Kfwivledge   Most   Useful  to   the    Children        iig 

of  the  hygiene  of  the  organs  of  sense  and  of  the  laws 
of  health  that  a  strong  and  healthful  development  of 
all  his  bodily  organs  may  enable  his  intellect  to  do  the 
best  work  possible  for  all  his  race. 

But  it  is  not  intellectual  strength  alone,  nor  skill  in 
the  use  of  the  eye  and  hand,  which  promises  success  to 
the  child  in  coming  years.     He  must  also 
have  such  knowledge  of  right  and  wrong,       neous, 
of  those  things  which  pertain  to  truth  and 
justice  and  honest  living,  that  he  may  be  able  clearly 
to   distinguish    them    from    those   which    characterize 
error  and  injustice  and  dishonest  living.     By  precept, 
practice  and  example  the  child  must  be  brought  into 
that  state  of  mind  in  which  feelings,  choice  and  will 
unite  in  forming  a  perfect  manhood, 

The  one  unchanging  thing 
Beneath  Time's  changeful  sky 

To  sum  up  the  main  points  of  this  chapter:  The 
child,  when  he  leaves  school,  should  be  in  possession 
of  such  knowledge  as  will  be  of  the  most  practical  use 
to  him  in  life.  The  branches,  a  knowledge  of  which 
constitutes  a  fairly  good  English  education,  should 
receive  a  large  share  of  his  attention.  These  branches 
should  not  be  slighted  in  order  to  obtain  time  for  more 
advanced  studies.  If  the  superstructure  is  to  endure, 
the  foundations  must  be  solid. 

Going  out  into  life  he  must  carry  with  him  a  desire 
to  know  all  things  within  his  reach.  But  he  should 
have  in  his  mind  a  knowledge  of  his  capabilities,  and 
choose  his  line  of  work  in  accordance  with  their  ex- 
tent. 

A  great  work  is  entrusted  to  your  hands;  it  is  nothing 
less  than 

The  Making  of  a  Man. 


120  Common   Sense  Didactics 

Quotations  Worth  Reading 
value  of  studies. 

The  best  education  has  come  from  contact  with  nature.  It  i5 
absurd  to  say  that  Abraham  Lincoln  was  uneducated  because  he 
did  not  have  the  advantages  of  the  schools.  He  was  educated  for 
the  work  of  his  life,  even  if  most  of  his  clay  work  was  done  with 
a  hoe,  his  wood  work  with  an  axe,  his  physics  with  a  crowbar. 

— Earl  Barnes. 

In  teaching  reading  there  are  just  two  ends  to  be  sought: 
(i)  To  make  the  learner  automatic  and  quick  in  the  recognition  of 
word  and  letter  forms  and  values;  (2)  to  secure  his  interest  in  the 
content,  the  spiritual  element  of  the  printed  forms. 

—Ruric  N.  Roark. 

Whenever  and  wherever  throughout  the  course  a  part  of 
speech,  a  fact  of  etymology,  a  'definition,  an  explanation,  a  rule, 
or  general  direction,  a  lesson  in  parsing  or  analysis,  will  directly 
assist  pupils  in  comprehending  or  adequately  expressing  thought, 
any  and  every  detail  of  grammar  should  be  freely  presented  and 
freely  used. 

— Francis  W.  Parker. 

In  recent  years  there  has  been  much  so-called  "language- 
study"  in  our  schools  ostensibly  for  the  purpose  of  teaching  the 
pupil  how  to  write  or  compose  with  facility.  He  has  been  set  at 
work  writing  numerous  commonplace  sentences  about  common- 
place things.  The  result  of  this  language-study  has  been 
described  not  inaptly  as  "gabble." 

—B.  A.  Hinsdale. 
DESIRE  FOR  KNOWLEDGE. 

To  this  might  be  added  that  irrepressible  curiosity,  that  all- 
pervading  desire  to  know,  which  is  round  in  the  mind  of  every 
child.  The  mind,  as  if  conscious  of  its  high  destiny,  instinctively 
spreads  its  unfledged  wings  in  pursuit  of  knowledge.  This,  with 
some  children,  is  an  all-sufficient  stimulant  to  the  most  vigorous 
exertion.     To  this  the  teacher  may  safely  appeal. 

—  W.  H.  Payne. 

Ideals  come  in  to  compel  men  to  go  forward.  It  is  easier  to  lie 
down  in  a  .thorn  hedge,  or  to  sleep  in  a  field  of  stinging  nettles 
than  for  a  man  to  abide  contentedly  as  he  is,  while  his  ideals 
scourge  him  upward. 

—Newell  Dwight  Hillis. 

As  the  child  is  growing  up  educational  training  should  be  con- 
tinued and  should  include  wider  interests,  teaching  thoughtful - 
ness  for  others  and  at  the  same  time  the  principle  of  self-control 
and  close  obedience  to  the  laws  of  health. 

— Ftancis  IVarner. 


K?iowledge  Most  Useful  to  the  Children  121 

THE  EYE  AND  THE  HAND. 

How  many  schoolmasters  of  even  the  present  regime  compre- 
hend with  John  Ruskin  that  "the  youth  who  has  once  learned  to 
take  a  straight  shaving  off  a  plank,  or  to  draw  a  fine  curve  with- 
out faltering,  or  to  lay  a  brick  level  in  its  mortar,  has  learned  a 
multitude  of  other  matters  which  no  lips  of  man  could  ever  teach 

him"? 

—Charles  H.  Ham. 

When  children  go  into  the  shops  and  find  that  they  have  to  do 
something  themselves,  delight  seizes  their  souls.  They  take  the 
school  home  with  them.  When  education  penetrates  the  home 
and  when  the  home  penetrates  the  school  then  things  move  on. 

— Francis  W.  Parker. 

In  no  country  on  earth  is  there  as  great  a  need  of  good,  true, 
strong  characteristics  in  human  life  as  in  America.  In  no  nation 
do  manhood  and  womanhood  in  their  highest  and  noblest  excel- 
lence have  such  a  chance  to  count  for  so  much.  In  no  way  is 
personal  virtue,  wise  restraint  and  self-mastery  able  to  exert  such 
majestic  influence  as  is  possible  to-day  in  the  wonderful  call  for 
citizenship  that  is  able  at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances 
to  stand  for  the  best  and  the  most  glorious  things  in  our  civil- 
ization. 

—H.  H.  Seerley. 

How  pathetic  the  wrecks  of  men  who  have  chosen  the  wrong 

occupation ! 

—Newell  Dwight  Hillis. 

LA  WS  OF  HE  A  L  TH. 

Prompt  and  vigorous  steps  should  be  taken  to  acquaint  every 
school  teacher  in  this  country  with  such  exercises  as  would 
quickly  restore  the  misshapen,  insure  an  erect  carriage,  encourage 
habits  of  full  breathing  and  strengthen  the  entire  trunk  and  every 
limb. 

—  William  Blaikie. 

The  following  quotations  are  from  the  article  by  Dr. 
Harris,  referred  to  in  the  text: 

GEOGRAPHY. 

It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that  it  is  a  mistake  to  send  me 
child  to  the  geographical  investigation  of  his  neighborhood 
before  he  has  heard  anything  about  the  great  facts  of  the  world ; 
he  should  be  put  on  the  investigation  of  his  habitat  in  connection 
with  the  great  facts  which  are  mentioned  in  the  geography.  One 
approaches  the  explanation  of  great  facts  through  little  facts,  but 
he  should  learn  as  quickly  as  possible  to  see  these  little  facts  on 
the  background  of  great  facts;  hence  they  should  be  taught 
together.     If  this  is  so  it  is  certainly  a  mistake  to  keep  pupils  for 


122  Common   Sense  Didactics 

many  weeks  or  even  many  da3rs  upon  the  study  of  their  neigh- 
borhoods before  taking  up  the  colossal  facts  which  are  of  world- 
importance. 

In  geography  the  pupil  comes  into  contact  with  these  substan- 
tial facts  that  lie  outside  of  his  daily  experience  and  yet  are 
necessary  to  him  for  explanation  of  that  experience.  Good 
instruction  in  the  school  will  of  course  draw  constantly  on  the 
daily  experience  of  the  pupil  in  order  to  explain  the  colossal  facts 
which  are  not  to  be  found  in  his  neighborhood.  The  small  things 
and  phenomena  which  he  sees  every  day  about  his  habitat  enable 
him  to  learn  to  understand  the  greater  phenomena  which  are  of 
historical  importance.  He  sees,  for  example,  every  day  the  effect 
of  the  last  rain-freshet  in  wearing  away  the  soil  of  the  road  on  the 
hill-side,  and  it  furnishes  the  small  fact  by  which  he  interprets 
the  large  fact  of  the  wearing  away  of  the  Niagara-gorge. 

Even  the  old-fashioned  geography  gives  items  regarding  the 
religious  beliefs  of  the  peoples  of  the  different  countries.  Religion 
is  the  underlying  principle  of  civilization. 

Thus  we  have  a  repertoire  of  the  main  points  of  sociology, 
namely  religious  beliefs,  forms  of  government,  industrial  occu- 
pations, races,  and  costumes,  and  finally  what  each  nation  puts 
into  the  market  of  the  world  from  its  surplus  for  exchange  with 
other  peoples,  and  what  it  receives  in  return. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

One  thing  grown-up  people  fail  to  realize  about  boy  life, 
especially  children's  life,  and  that  is  the  intensity  of  it.  There  is 
a  strong  life  of  hopes,  fears,  likes  and  dislikes,  friendships  and 
quarrels  going  on  which  the  master  little  suspects. 

—R.  H.  Quick. 

Latterly  I  have  found  it  necessary  to  show  that  the  core  of  the 
school  curriculum  is  right ;  that  the  need  of  an  illiterate  man  when 
he  goes  away  from  home  is  a  knowledge  of  reading  and  writing 
rather  than  a  knowedge  of  bugs,  beetles,  lobsters,  whales  and 
other  stuff  which  is  displacing  the  three  R's  in  the  curriculum  of 
many  schools. 

—N.  C.  Schaeffer. 

Questions  for  Examination 

/.  How  much  importance  attaches  to  the  reading  lesson? 

a.  State  in  your  own  words  what  Miss  Arnold  says  of  teaching 

reading. 
J.  What  is  said  in  this  chapter  concerning  the  spelling  lesson? 

4.  What  points  should  be  made  prominent  in  teaching  arith- 

metic? 

5.  What  is  the  effect  of  stimulating    the    child's   ambition 

beyond  his  natural  ability? 

6.  The  importance  of  training  the  hand  and  the  eye? 

7.  What  advantages  has  the  teacher  of  the  country  school? 


Knowledge  Most  Useful  to  the  Children  I2j 

8.  What  is  said  concerning  the  laws  of  health? 
g.  Sum  up  the  main  points  of  this  chapter, 
lo.  What  is  involved  in  the  motto,  "The  Making  of  a  Man"? 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

/.  Who  was  Francis  W.  Parker.^ 

2.  Who  was  George  B.  Emerson? 

J,  In  what  way  can  a  child  be  taught  to  use  his  eyes  and  his 

hands? 
4.  Do  you  consider  arithmetic  the  most  essential  branch  in  the 

curriculum?     Explain. 
5'.  What  distinction  do  you  make  between  a  disciplinary  and 

an  information  study? 


CHAPTER    VII 

MORALS 
Out  of  the  Abundance  of  the  Heart 

The  simple  and  salient  fact  is  we  do  not  get  hold  of  the  little 
children  soon  enough.  An  unfortunate  childhood  is  the  sure 
prophecy  of  an  unfortunate  life. 

— Sarah  B.  Cooper. 

In  the  school,  as  elsewhere,  good,  honest  toil  is  a  remedy  for 
many  of  those  ills  that  come  where  idleness  and  looseness  prevail. 
Every  boy  who  does  a  piece  of  work  thoroughly  and  completely  is 
a  different  boy  from  what  he  was  before. 

—Samuel  T.  Diitton. 

THE  SCHOOLMASTER'S  PRAYER: 

Lord,  deliver  the  laddies  before  Thee  from  lying,  cheating, 
cowardice  and  laziness,  which  are  as  the  devil.  Be  pleased  to  put 
common  sense  in  their  hearts,  and  give  them  grace  to  be  honest 
men  all  the  days  of  their  life. 

—Ian  Maclaren,  in  '■^  Young  Barbarians.''^ 

THE  cultivation  of  morality  in  its  broadest  sense 
including  the  proper  control  or  exercise  of  the 
emotional  nature  of  the  child,  the  cultivation  of  his 
-pi^^  conscience   as    influencing    him    to    right- 

cultivation  mindedness,  this  is  the  most  important 
0/ morality.  ^^^^  imposed  upon  the  teacher  by  his 
office.  There  can  be  no  more  weighty  concern  pre- 
sented to  the  youthful  mind  than  how  to  attain  to  a 
right  life  by  the  process  of  growth  in  right  conduct. 

To  the  accomplishment  of  this  end  all  the  exercises 
of  the  school  should  be  made  to  contribute.  The 
recitations,  the  recesses,  the  study  hours,  the  general 
management  and  the  discipline,  are,  or  ought  to  be, 
strong  factors  in  moral  training. 

All  the  signs  of  the  times  indicate  the  need  of  more 
pointed   and   more    radical    moral    instruction    in    our 

124 


Morals  125 

schools.  If  we  expect  to  stay  the  tide  of  youthful 
crime  we  must  begin  at  the  foundation,  and  deal  with 
the  child  as  a  responsible  being.  We  must  appeal  more 
to  his  conscience,  and  impress  upon  him  a  knowledge  or 
the  terrible  consequences  of  wrong-doing  which  he  will 
bring  upon  himself  if  he  persists  in  his  evil  courses. 

The  philosophers  may  philosophize  as  they  will, 
but  in  plain  language,  avoiding  all  technical  terms, 
we  believe  that  Dr.  Harris  sums  the  whole  matter  up 
when  he  says:  "The  personal  conviction  of  respon- 
sibility lies  at  the  basis  of  all  truly  moral  actions." 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  many  teachers  regard 
moral  training  as  a  thing  separate  and  by  itself.  It 
is  too  often  dependent  upon  the  opening  exercises,  or 
it  is  made  the  subject  of  certain  lessons  given  at  fix-ed 
and  stated  times.  In  such  a  case  it  has  no  connection 
with  school  life,  and  worse  yet,  it  is  wholly  divorced 
from  life  outside  the  schoolroom.  Thus  moral  train- 
ing fails  oftentimes  to  take  hold  of  the  living  child 
or  to  find  any  lodgment  in  his  heart. 

Rules,  regulations  and  restrictions  have  a  place  in 
moral  training,  but  as  the  child  grows  in  years  the 
necessity  for  them  should  become  less  and  less,  until 
they  can  be  dispensed  with,  and  the  man  be  left  to 
stand  upon  the  foundation  laid  in  his  youth.  Moral 
instruction  concerns  the  inner  being,  and  must  work 
from  the  heart  outward. 

You  will  occasionally  be  met  by  the  objection  that 
the  public  schools  cannot  give  any  instruction  in  the 
domain  of  morals  for  fear  that  in  so  doing  The  prov- 
they  may  invade  the  field  of  creed  and  ince  of  the 
J  .  L-   1    -i.  •     -u  1"  •  school  in 

dogma  m  which  it  is  the  peculiar  province      moral 

of  the  church  to  instruct  its  children  and      training. 
youth.      I   cannot   agree   with    those    who    take    this 


126  Common   Se?ise  Didactics 

position.  Neither  can  I  agree  with  those  who  regard 
the  public  schools  as  godless,  and  their  attempts  at 
moral  instruction  as  of  little  worth. 

Society  is  based  upon  certain  great,  cardinal  princi- 
ples that  by  universal  consent  are  regarded  as  the 
foundations  upon  which  depend  the  safety  of  our 
homes  and  welfare  of  our  children.  A  community 
where  every  man  is  rated  as  a  liar  or  a  thief,  where 
dishonesty  is  the  rule  and  honesty  the  exception, 
where  lawlessness  in  unchecked  and  human  life  held 
at  a  low  estimate,  would  not  be  a  desirable  place  for 
a  residence.  Here  is  a  vast  domain  embracing  every 
sphere  of  life  over  which  the  church  does  not  claim 
exclusive  jurisdiction  and  which  the  school  may  not 
rightly  neglect. 

Every  crime  punished  by  the  state  is  a  transgression 
of  one  of  the  ten  commandments;  every  virtue  binding 
together  the  brotherhood  of  man  is  inculcated  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Honesty,  reverence,  temper- 
ance, purity,  patriotism,  truthfulness,  justice,  mercy, 
obedience,  whatever  tends  to  add  to  the  usefulness  of 
the  citizen,  the  stability  of  the  government,  or  to  raise 
the  tone  of  society  comes  within  the  legitimate  prov- 
ince of  moral  instruction  in  the  public  school. 

I  refer  here  especially  to  those  virtues  the  practice 
of  which  renders  it  possible  for  men  to  trust  each  other 
in  business  transactions.  It  makes  little 
mrtiies.  difference  whether  a  man  is  fat  or  lean,  tall 

or  short,  broad-shouldered  or  narrow- 
chested.  We  do  not  care  what  ticket  he  votes.  We 
make  no  inquiries  as  to  his  church  affiliations.  But 
we  do  want  to  be  assured  that  he  gives  full  weight  and 
honest  measure,  and  is  exact  in  his  accounts;  that  he 
does  not  keep  about  his   place   of  business   lewd   or 


Morals  12'j 

drunken  clerks  to  insult  our  wives  or  cheat  our  chil- 
dren. 

I  dwell  upon  these  points  because  so  many  of  our 
teachers  fear  to  give  definite  and  daily  instruction  con- 
cerning them,  lest  they  offend  some  over-sensitive 
parent  in  the  district.  I  desire  here  equally  to  empha- 
size the  necessity  of  teaching  our  children  obedience 
to  law  and  reverence  for  constituted  authority.  Tiiere 
can  be  no  question  upon  this  point.  Here  the  teacher's 
duty  is  as  clear  as  the  light  of  day.  To  ^ive  in  open 
disregard  of  the  laws  of  the  land  is  mconsistent  with 
the  character  of  a  good  citizen,  affixes  to  the  offender 
the  brand  of  disloyalty,  and  affords  an  example  which 
the  youth  in  our  schools  should  be  taught  to  shun. 

If  I  am  asked  how  far  this  instruction  in  morals  may 
be  carried  I  am  ready  to  answer  that  its  extent  is 
measured  by  the  welfare  of  the  citizens  and  Religion 
the  necessities  of  the  state.  Then  perhaps  ^^l^^, 
you  ask  me,  as  many  have,  "What  of  the 
existence  of  God,  and  what  of  personal  responsibility? 
What  is  my  duty  in  this  regard?" 

Let  me  ask  you  a  question  in  return,  the  answer  to 
which  seems  to  solve  the  question.  How  can  you 
teach  civil  government  and  the  sanctity  of  the  official 
oath  if  you  ignore  the  existence  of  God,  or  discard  the 
doctrine  of  personal  responsibility?  What  will  you  do 
with  the  references  to  an  overruling  Providence,  in 
Lincoln's  Gettysburg  Speech,  in  Washington's  Fare- 
well Address,  and  in  the  proclamations  for  thanksgiv- 
ing or  fasting  put  forth  by  nearly  every  president  since 
the  days  of  Washington? 

Read  in  the  notes  at  the  close  of  this  lesson  the 
extracts  from  the  constitutions  of  three  northwestern 
states  and  you  can  decide  the  question  for  yourself. 


128  Comjnon   Sense  Didactics 

A  Frencn  philosopher  once  said:  "God  is  as  neces- 
sary as  liberty  to  the  French  people."  What  was  true 
in  France  then  is  true  in  America  to-day. 

To  the  thoughtful  teacher  the  intent  of  moral  instruc- 
tion is  not  a  doubtful  question.  The  teacher  may  not 
inculcate  the  peculiar  belief  or  creed  of  any  sect  or 
<Jass  of  people.  The  mind  of  the  child  in  the  public 
schools  must  be  left  free  to  receive  such  distinctly 
religious  instruction  in  Sunday  school,  church,  family, 
or  otherwise  as  each  parent  may  elect.  In  addition  to 
this  the  wise  teacher  will  in  no  way  ridicule  or  bring 
into  disgrace  the  peculiar  religious  views  of  the  family 
from  which  the  child  comes.  Nothing  can  be  worse 
for  the  child  than  to  have  his  respect  for  the  religion 
of  his  parents  treated  scornfully  or  even  lightly.  Thus 
far  the  way  of  the  public  school  teacher  is  hedged  up 
by  lines  beyond  which  he  may  not  lawfully  pass. 

Notwithstanding  all  that  is  said  to  the  contrary 
the  fact  that  this  is  in  name  a  Christian  nation  is 
recognized  in  every  legislature  in  the  land.  In  every 
court,  from  the  justice  office  of  the  village  to  the 
supreme  court  of  the  nation,  the  sanctity  of  the  oath  is 
confirmed  and  strengthened  by  the  expression,  "So 
help  you  God."  No  legislative  assembly,  no  court 
of  law,  no  political  convention  would  dare  breast  the 
storm  of  indignation  which  would  be  raised  by  its  con- 
vening on  the  Christian  Sabbath.  If  our  government 
has  any  stability  it  is  a  stability  rooted  and  grounded 
in  the  heart  of  the  Christian  people.  If  we  have  any 
culture  it  is  an  outgrowth  of  our  Christian  civilization. 

But  without  going  beyond  their  lawful  domain  there 
What  may  is  a  broad  range  of  moral  instruction  within 
be  taught,  ^hich  teachers  may  find  a  field  for  most 
profitable  and  efficient  work. 


Morals  I2g 

At  the  risk  of  repeating  what  I  have  already  said  I 
desire  to  enforce  this  point.  There  are  certain  acci- 
dental qualities  which  attach  themselves  to  every 
man.  They  are  his  peculiar  property  and  constitute 
the  sum  total  of  his  individuality.  With  these  we 
have  no  concern.  But  there  are  other  vital  qualifica- 
tions which  make  up  his  character  and  guide  him  in 
his  dealings  with  his  fellows,  and  these  qualifications 
it  is  the  business  of  the  public  school  to  cultivate  in 
the  children  who  attend  upon  its  instruction.  Tem- 
perance, regularity  and  promptness  in  meeting  busi- 
ness engagements,  honesty  in  dealing  with  others, 
reverence,  purity,  truthfulness  and  obedience,  respect 
for  law,  the  sanctity  of  an  oath,  whatsoever  virtues 
enter  into  the  character  of  the  typical  American  citizen, 
these  must  be  taught  to  the  children  of  all  classes 
alike,  for  they  are  the  foundation  of  that  practical 
religion  which  alone  makes  this  life  endurable.  "These, 
taken  as  one  grand  whole,  are  the  essence  of  that  which 
we  call  faith,  and  faith  is  the  essence  of  all  religion." 
And  so  we  come  back  to  the  point  at  issue,  that  there 
is  occasion  in  the  public  schools  for  teaching  that 
plain,  practical,  business  morality  which  enters  into 
the  everyday  dealings  of  life,  and  which,  by  unfold- 
ing to  the  child  the  brotherhood  of  man,  enables  him 
more  fully  to  comprehend  the  fatherhood  of  God. 

Is  this  done  in  the  public  schools  of  the  land?  In 
a  measure,  it  is,  but  not  so  fully  as  it  ought  to  be. 
The  intellectual  has  the  preference  over  the  moral  in 
most  of  our  schools.  The  text-book  is  on  the  throne. 
Mathematics,  science,  literature,  whatever  induces 
brilliant  intellectual  results,  are  crowded  to  the  front, 
while  the  growth  of  those  finer  qualities  of  the  heart, 
which  make  up  such  types  of  manhood  and  woman- 

9 


ijo  Commo7i   Sense  Didactics 

hood  as  we  hope  for  in  the  coming  American  citizen, 
is  left  in  the  background. 

The  following  quotation  is  from  the  pen  of  Cyrus 
Peirce,  whom  Horace  Mann  chose  to  be  president  of 
the  first  normal  school  in  America: 

"By  virtue  of  the  understanding,  man  may  learn  the 
laws  of  God;  but  it  is  the  conscience  only  that  can 
Extract         keep  him  in   the  practice  of  them.     This 
from  Cyrus    has  been  practically  very  much  lost  sight 
of.    In  our  schools,  for  the  last  thirty  years 
or  more,  we  have  been  educating  the  head,  the  intel- 
lect, so  far  as  we  have  educated   anything;    teaching 
boys  and  girls  a  little  grammar,   geography,  arithme- 
tic,   and    a   few   poor    accomplishments, — rather  than 
infusing  into  them  a  right  moral  spirit,  and  teaching 
them  the  great  duties  and  responsibilities  of  life.    This 
is  implied  in  all  our  school   arrangements,  text-books, 
examinations    and    standards    of    school    excellence. 
This  is  the  reason,  or  a  principal  reason,  that  educa- 
tion,   popular   education,    school    education,    has    not 
checked,  and  will  not  check  crime.     The    head  will 
not  do  the  work  of  the  heart,  nor  the  heart  of  the  head. 
We  must  be  more  than  informed  of  our  duty.     "If  ye 
know  these  things  happy  are  ye  if   ye  do  them."     Let 
us  go  to  work  and  do  as  much  everywhere  for  the  heart 
and  the  conscience  as  we  have  done  for  the  intellect." 
As  a  part   of   moral    instruction  it    is  necessary   to 
induce  children  to  think  seriously  upon  moral  subjects 
n^  ..  and  to  determine  their  own  actions  by  judg- 

ing for  themselves.  As  choice  precedes 
action  so  motives  precede  choice.  Do  not  allow  a 
child  to  decide  in  haste  a  question  involving  a  right 
or  wrong  course  of  action.  Give  him  plenty  of  time 
to  revolve  the  matter  in  his  own  mind. 


Morals  iji 

At  the  close  of  a  patient  talk  the  teacher  said  to  a 
troublesome  pupil:  "I  do  not  want  an  answer  to- 
night. Take  the  matter  home  and  think  it  over, 
Ts  my  conduct  in  school  such  as  it  should  be?' 
To-morrow  or  the  next  day  come  and  tell  me  your 
decision,  but  take  your  time  for  it."  There  was  no 
answer  for  several  days.  The  teacher's  treatment  of 
the  pupil  was  kind  and  cordial,  but  no  reference  was 
made  to  the  matter  'of  which  both  were  thinking. 
Before  the  end  of  the  week  the  boy  had  thought  it  out, 
and  of  his  own  accord  after  the  session  said  to  his 
teacher:  *T  have  been  thinking,  and  I  was  wrong  all 
the  way  through." 

Motives  maybe  classified  thus:  First,  those  which  are 
personal  in  their  nature.  We  all  are  actuated  more  or 
less  by  love  of  self.  Only  in  rare  instances 
do  we  find  a  person  who  can  and  does  classified. 
entirely  forget  his  own  interests  in  deter- 
mining his  course  of  action.  What  we  are  unable  to 
do  ourselves  we  ought  not  to  expect  children  to  do. 

While  it  is  right  to  inculcate  a  spirit  of  unselfishness 
in  the  child  we  ought  not  to  look  upon  him  as  totally 
depraved  because  many  of  his  actions  are  induced  by 
selfish  interests.  If  we  can  so  far  control  and  direct 
him  that  he  will  not  strive  to  obtain  any  advantage  by 
disregarding  the  rights  of  others  we  have  accom- 
plished in  many  cases  all  that  we  have  any  right  to 
expect.  Self-approbation  is  a  laudable  motive,  and 
the  teacher  has  a  right  to  appeal  to  it.  Self-approba- 
tion is  akin  to  self-respect. 

A  second  class  of  motives  can  be  found  in  a  desire 
to  gain  the  approbation  of  others.  Motives  which 
may  be  gathered  under  this  head  are  perfectly  legiti- 
mate, and  the  teacher  need  have  no  fear  of  appealing 


IJ2  Commo7i   Sense  Didactic s 

to  them.  Care  must  be  taken,  however,  to  impress 
upon  the  pupil  that  approbation  and  praise  gained 
through  fraud  or  deceit  is  a  lasting  disgrace. 

The  third  class  of  motives  includes  those  which 
appeal  to  the  child's  ideas  of  right,  to  his  higher 
nature,  to  his  sense  of  responsibility, — as  a  child  to  his 
parents,  as  a  pupil  to  his  school,  as  a  citizen  to  his 
country,  and  as  an  individual  to  his  Maker. 

In  his  address  to  a  candidate  for  ordination  Bishop 
Brooks  thus  described  the  spirit  that  should  animate 
the  minister:  "The  true  mother  loves  her  son  and 
loves  the  truth;  as  a  result  the  child  is  educated  in 
the  right  manner.  The  disciples  loved  Christ,  and 
they  loved  the  men  around  them;  consequently  their 
work  among  them  was  crowned  with  success.  If  you 
would  teach  a  man  a  duty  or  a  truth  which  he  should 
know  you  must  have  this  double  love.  To  comfort  a 
man  in  grief  you  must  have  one  hand  on  the  strong 
rock  of  absolute  truth  and  the  other  on  the  trembling 
afflicted  soul.  Kindness  without  truth  is  not  kind; 
truth  without  kindness  is  not  true." 

These  are  sound  words  and  should  be  kept  in  mind 
by  everyone  who  desires  to  lead  the  child  into  ways 
of  truth  and  soberness.  You  cannot  force  these 
motives  upon  the  child  and  have  them  live.  They 
must  be  vitalized  by  love  and  kindness,  and  by  a 
sincere  interest  in  his  welfare.  An  old  writer  says 
this,  and  it  is  worth  remembering:  "The  more  expe- 
riences we  have  the  richer  is  our  life.  It  is  better  to 
hold  any  portion  of  truth  in  the  mind  in  a  vital  way 
than  to  have  its  whole  baggage  stored  merely  in  one's 
memory." 

There  is  not  space  in  this  chapter  to  discuss  the 
nature  or  functions  of  the  will.     It  is  enough  for  our 


Morals  ijj 

present  purpose  to  say  that  the  will  is  the  self-determin- 
ing power  of  the  soul.  Of  two  courses  open  to  the 
child  he  knows  that  one  is  right  and  one  ^,  ... 
is  wrong, — one  involves  disobedience  and 
breaking  away  from  all  restraint;  the  other,  obedience 
and  the  conscientious  discharge  of  any  duty.  Here 
good  motives  and  pure  feelings  come  in  to  act  as  a 
stimulant  to  the  will  and  to  compel  a  right  choice. 
On  the  other  hand  if  the  motives  are  low  and  selfish,  if 
the  feelings  are  sluggish  and  dead,  then  the  will  has 
no  prompting  to  resist  temptation  and  the  wrong 
choice  is  the  result. 

The  boy  played  truant  yesterday.  To-day  as  he 
leaves  his  father's  house  the  choice  presents  itself. 
"Shall  I  go  to  school  or  shall  I  do  as  I  did  yester- 
day?" What  is  to  determine  his  course?  His  feel- 
ings, his  regret  at  having  caused  his  parents  trouble,  his 
shame  at  being  punished,  his  desire  to  regain  the  place 
in  his  class  which  he  has  lost,  his  pride,  his  better 
nature,  all  conspire  to  lead  him  to  the  school.  He  meets 
a  boon  companion,  an  idler,  a  vagabond,  yields  to  his 
influence  and  spends  the  day,  as  he  did  yesterday,  in 
the  fields  and  woods.  What  was  the  reason?  When  it 
came  to  the  point  of  executing  his  choice  his  will  was 
weak,  and  he  yielded  to  temptation.  He  had  not  been 
taught  to  look  beyond  the  pleasure  of  to-day. 

How  can  I  strengthen  the  will  of  such  a  boy,  or 
rather  how  can  I  aid  him  to  do  this  for  himself?  By 
placing  before  him  right  motives,  by  appealing  to  his 
sense  of  duty,  by  encouraging  him  in  any  attempt  to 
do  right,  by  placing  implicit  confidence  in  his  prom- 
ises, which  are  honest  at  the  time  made,  to  do  better 
in  the  future. 

A  more  difficult  case   is   found    in    the   boy  whose 


IJ4  Cent  mo  71   Se?isc  Didactics 

will  is  strong  but  depraved;  it  always  impels  to  wrong 
action  whenever  a  choice  presents  itself.  Of  the  boys 
A  strong  taken  from  the  streets,  some  of  them  young 
but  de-  criminals,    and    placed    in    proper    homes 

'^  under  judicious  men  and  women,  nmety-nve 

per  cent  are  saved.  How  is  this  accomplished?  By 
giving  them  something  to  do,  by  interesting  them  in 
some  work  which  calls  out  their  native  energy;  by 
meeting  them  more  than  half  way  in  every  effort  to 
do  right;  by  trusting  them  in  important  places  or 
work,  and  by  cultivating  self-respect  and  the  desire  to 
excel  in  whatever  they  undertake.  In  every  case 
give  such  boys  an  opportunity  for  self-reflection. 
When  the  child  discovers  that  he  is  an  object  of  sus- 
picion, that  no  one  trusts  him,  his  ruin  is  not  far  off. 
Arnold's  boys  used  to  say:  "It  is  mean  to  lie  to 
Arnold;  he  trusts  us  so."  The  boy's  honor  is  often 
the  most  sensitive  point  in  his  character.  You  will 
seldom  make  a  mistake  in  appealing  to  it. 

In  close  connection  with  what  I  have  written  is  the 
cultivation  of  conscience.     Every  child  has  a  character 

^  which  is  his  own,  an  individuality  which  no 

Conscience.  '  ^      r 

man   can    take    from    him.     To   form    this 

character,  to  give  shape  to  this  individuality,  is  largely 

the  work  of  the  conscience. 

The  absence  or  death  of  conscience  is  the  death  of 
every  moral  sense.  Without  a  conscience  a  man  knows 
no  distinction  between  right  and  wrong.  He  is  chained, 
a  helpless  captive,  to  the  wheels  of  his  mad  impulses; 
blind,  he  is  lead  in  rough  paths  by  his  passions;  deaf, 
the  celestial  voice  which  approves  or  disapproves  our 
acts  has  no  means  of  access  to  his  soul. 

If  conscience  is  thus  inborn,  how  can  we  best 
nurture  it;  what  are  the  conditions  of  its  growth? 


Morals  ij§ 

There  is  a  strong  sustaining  power  in  the  perform- 
ance of  duty.  Conscience  is  the  life  of  duty,  it 
prompts  to  action,  it  impels  while  it  supports.  Just 
as  the  transfiguration  of  Christ  was  to  his  disciples 
a  new  revelation,  so  the  performance  of  duty  some- 
times opens  our  eyes  to  the  wondrous  beauty  of  a 
higher  life;  the  dull  and  somber  raiment  of  earth  is 
changed  for  the  white  and  shining  garments;  white, 
"so  as  no  fuller  on  earth  can  white  them." 

Conscience  is  best  trained  through  habits  of  right- 
doing,  and  right-doing  is  not  limited  to  those  duties 
which  we  call  moral.  Every  act  which  is  required  of 
the  child  must  be  performed  with  due  regard  to  the 
motive  and  spirit  of  the  action.  The  attempt  must 
be  not  simply  to  enlighten  conscience,  but  to  so 
enlighten  it  as  to  deepen  its  hold  upon  the  whole  life 
of  the  child. 

Every  action  has  a  moral  side  and  involves  a  ques- 
tion of  right  and  wrong.  It  is  not  enough  that  the 
lesson  is  learned  or  neglected,  the  given  task  per- 
formed or  unperformed,  the  command  obeyed  or  dis- 
obeyed, the  words  pure  or  impure,  reverent  or  profane. 
Back  of  all  and  under  all  are  motives;  the  spring  of 
every  virtue  is  a  tender  conscience. 

This  caution  is,  in  some  instances,  very  needful.     It 

is  a  species  of  cruelty  to  nurture  a  tender  conscience 

in  the  child,  and  leave  him  with  a  weak  and    f,^        ^j 

.         '  .       Strengthen 

vacillatmg  will  to  become  the  prey  of  his  both  con- 
passions  and  afterward  the  victim  of  a  bit-  ^f^f^^'^^  ^'^^ 
ter  remorse.  The  will  can  be  exercised  only 
when  one  or  two  or  more  courses  is  to  be  chosen.  In 
addition  to  nurturing  the  conscience  we  must  bring  to 
bear  upon  the  child  the  power  of  duty  and  obligation; 
the  force  which  there  is  in  must  and  oughts  in  thou  shalt 


ij6  Common   Se?ise  Didactics 

and  thou  shalt  7iot;  we  must  appeal  to  motives  rather 
than  to  impulses;  we  must  show  him  the  results  of 
actions  if  we  would  have  him  both  know  and  choose 
right  things.  Against  this  cultivation,  on  the  part  of 
the  teacher,  of  the  child's  moral  sense  by  the  nurture 
of  conscience  and  the  strengthening  of  the  will,  there 
is  no  law.  The  state  should  require  it,  the  church 
should  urge  it,  the  community  should  demand  it, 
because  the  absence  of  it  threatens  them  all  with  a  com- 
mon peril.  Neither  is  there  any  law  which  forbids 
the  teacher  to  recognize  the  child  as  an  accountable, 
immortal  being. 

There  are  boys  and  girls,  it  is  true,  who  are  deficient 
in  conscience,  as  there  are  those  deficient  in  intellect. 

If  we  deal  tenderly  and  patiently  with  one. 
Children  so  ought  we  to  deal  tenderly  and  patiently 
conscience,     with  the  other.     Very  much  depends  upon 

the  motives  which  are  placed  before  such  a 

child.     It  is  in  vain  that  we  attempt  to  instil  correct 

notions  of  God  and  his  claims  upon  us  as  his  children 

before  we  have  aroused  a  sense  of  right  and  wrong  in 

the    mind.     The    first   davvnings   of   conscience    as   an 

acknowledged  power  should  be    used   to   correct  bad 

habits,   for  often   that   which   we   are  accustomed   to 

call   inherited   tendency  to  crime  is  only  habit,  born 

of  vicious  surroundings;  by  careful   nurture  it  can  be 

brought  under  the  power  of  conscience. 

What    now   are    the   conditions    most    favorable   to 

the  growth  of  conscience?     In  dealing  with  the  child 

r    d'i'  "^^  often  appeal  to  his  fear  of  punishment, 

favorable  to  to    his    self-approbation,    to    many    minor 

growth  of     motives  which  are  in  themselves  lawful  and 
consaence,  ,    ,    . 

proper ,  but  we  do  not  often  enough  brmg 

him  face  to  face  with  the  question,  "Is  it  right?" 


Morals  ijy 

In  the  lower  courts  the  child  pettifogs  with  his 
lame  excuses,  pleads  the  law  of  circumstances  and 
frequently  baffles  justice.  We  do  not  often  enough 
appeal  to  that  higher  court  wherein  the  silent, 
thoughtful  judge  strips  the  question  of  all  sophistry, 
and  in  plain,  unmistakable  terms  decides  each  ques- 
tion in  its  turn  as  right  or  wrong.  The  continual 
exercise  of  conscience  is  the  surest  condition  of  its 
growth. 

If  by  the  promptings  of  this  inner  moral  sense  we 
can  place  truth  in  such  a  light  that  the  child  sees 
and  feels  it  to  be  more  desirable  than  error,  then  the 
culture  and  development  of  conscience  must  be 
regarded  as  the  foundation  of  moral  instruction. 

We  are  told  that  the  design  of  education  is  to  build 

character.     But  character  is  not  something  to  be  built 

and  torn  down  and  rebuilt  at  our  pleasure.   ^, 

,     .  ...  •       r      1      t  1  Char  act  er- 

It  IS  not  like  a  suit  of  clothes  to  be  put  on  building  not 

to-day  and  put  off  to-morrow.    Character  is  ^^J  design 

.  .  .    ^        .  f.  .  .  of  education, 

a  thmg  01  growth,  not  or  creation.  As  every 

movement  of  the  muscles  adds  strength  to  the  limbs 
of  the  growing  child,  so  every  act  which  takes  cog- 
nizance of  duty,  which  offers  to  the  child  a  choice 
between  right  and  wrong  gives  tone  and  shape  to  the 
character.  (See  page  44.) 

It  is  not  the  relation  of  the  child  to  politics,  it  is 
not  how  to  develop  his  power  to  earn  and  hoard 
money,  it  is  not  an  accumulation  of  dry  facts — which 
may  be  as  useful  to  a  villain  as  to  an  honest  man — 
that  most  nearly  concern  the  child  and  his  teacher. 
The  relations  of  the  child  to  himself  as  an  accountable 
being;  the  inward  consciousness  that  he  is  responsible 
for  his  actions  and  their  results;  the  relations,  above  all 
others,  which,  commencing  with  himself  as  the  center, 


Ij8  Co  mm  0  71   Se?ise  Didactics 

radiate  through  his  words,  his  deeds,  his  motives, 
influencing  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact — these 
are  to  his  character  what  the  warp  and  woof  are  to 
the  texture  of  the  cloth. 

Right  actions  always  spring  from  right-mindedness. 
If  we  can  induce  the  child  before  he  acts  to  think 
in  reference  to  results  of  his  actions  he  will  seldom 
do  wrong.  Thus  it  is  entirely  proper  that  the  child 
should  be  instructed  in  the  department  of  morals, 
especially  in  those  minor  habits  which  constitute  the 
conduct  of  every-day  life.  Still  the  practice  of  lectur- 
ing and  preaching  to  the  children  should  not  be  over- 
done. 

An  incident  which  happens  m  connection  with  the 
school  may  sometimes  be  utilized,  and  made  the  basis 
of  a  most  effective  talk.  So  the  reading  of  some  story, 
or  some  selection  from  a  popular  author,  may  be 
introduced  as  inculcating  a  healthy  moral  lesson.  But 
more  than  this  every  exercise  or  recitation  should  have 
a  bearing  upon  the  moral  side  of  the  life  which  pre- 
vails in  the  schoolroom.  Moral  training  in  the  school 
should  lead  directly  to  independence  in  moral  actions. 
This  cannot  be  accomplished  unless  we  can. develop  in 
the  child  a  conscience  which  becomes  the  ruler  of  his 
conduct. 

This  thought  also  must  not  be  omitted.  The 
example  of  the  teacher  is  often  the  most  powerful 
influence  which  can  be  brought  to  bear  in 
example.  moral  instruction.  Nowhere  as  here  can  the 
power  of  unconscious  tuition  be  seen  and 
felt.  Children  are  natural  imitators,  so  that  the  dress, 
the  speech,  the  tones  of  voice,  the  manners  of  the 
teacher  are  apt  to  be  reproduced  in  the  plays  and 
amusements  of  the  children   at  recess  and  at   home. 


Morals  ijg 

The  conscientious  teacher  must  have  a  care  that  in 
none  of  these  things  does  he  offend  one  of  the  little 
ones  of  his  flock. 

Wickersham  says  upon  this  point:  "The  teacher's 
example,  his  daily  walk  and  conversation,  has  a 
powerful  influence  upon  the  young  of  whom  he  has  the 
care.  We  all  grow  like  our  ideals.  The  ideal  of  a 
child  is  the  teacher  he  loves.  On  his  soul  is  stamped 
the  teacher's  image,  and  the  impression  deepens  day 
by  day.  Silently,  unconsciously  to  either  party,  the 
teacher's  life  settles  down  upon  the  child's  life  and 
moulds  it  in  its  own  likeness.  Without  a  spoken  word 
the  example  of  the  true  teacher  is  a  continuous  ser- 
mon, sinking  into  the  young  hearts  about  him  and 
working  marvelous  results  in  forming  character  and 
shaping  life. 

"The  great  teachers  of  the  world  have  not  been  its 
famous  scholars,  but  those  who  by  example,  by  word 
and  deed,  were  able  to  influence  for  good  the  young  of 
whom  they  had  charge — those  at  whose  magic  touch 
all  that  is  best  in  human  nature  is  evolved  and  made 
ready  to  serve  mankind  and  to  honor  God." 

As  a  conclusion  to  this  chapter:  These  three  terms 
— the  intellect,  the  sensibilities,  the  will  —  are  com- 
monly used  in   discussing   the  question  of  ^      ,     . 

;'         .    .  ^  /  Conclusion. 

moral  trammg.  Through  the  mtellect  we 
apprehend  or  know,  through  the  sensibilities  we  feel, 
through  the  will  we  determine  action.  Knowledge 
precedes  the  sensibilities,  or  feelings,  as  some  authors 
designate  them.  Mark  Hopkins  says:  "Without 
intellect  there  is  no  light,  without  feeling  there  is  no 
motive,  without  motive  there  is  no  choice."  Thus 
both  intellect  and  sensibility  are  necessary  to  motive; 
motives  rule  the  will  and  determine  the  action. 


140  Commo?i   Sense  Didactics 

It  is  well  for  the  teacher  to  remember  that  there  is 
sometimes  a  child  with  a  normal  intellect,  but  without 
any  sense  of  fear,  or  love,  or  hatred,  or  reverence.  The 
sensibilities  seem  to  be  wanting,  and  it  is  little  less 
than  a  miracle  to  create  or  awaken  them.  Another 
with  a  feeble  intellect  has  very  keen  sensibilities.  Yet 
another  is  deficient  in  will,  although  the  intellect  and 
feelings  are  fairly  active.  Probably  these  exist,  if  only 
in  an  unconscious  state,  in  the  mind  of  every  child 
excepting  the  natural  idiot,  and  ev^en  in  the  case  of 
the  idiot  it  is  marvelous  what  skillful  training  will 
sometimes  do. 

Button  says  in  his  Social  Phases  of  Education:  "To 
treat  harshly  a  child  who  bears  the  marks  of  a  low 
and  ignorant  or  even  criminal  ancestry  would  partake 
of  the  Chinese  method  of  administering  justice.  The 
greater  the  misfortune  of  the  child  the  more  heavily 
he  is  handicapped  by  the  degradation  and  sins  of  the 
family  to  which  he  belongs,  the  greater  his  claim  to 
that  sympathetic  discrimination  and  masterly  treat- 
ment, and  that  redemptive  love  which  alone  can  save 
him  and  lift  him  above  the  conditions  which  threaten 
to  destroy  his  life." 

You  will  see  as  a  result  of  this  discussion  that 
developing  the  intellect  is  only  a  small  part  of  your 
work.  To  cultivate  the  finer  feelings  of  man's  nature, 
so  to  stimulate  the  conscience  that  under  its  prompt- 
ings the  will  must  always  make  a  right  choice,  this  is 
the  highest  work  you  can  do  for  the  pupils  in  your 
school. 

There  is  nothing  more  certain  than  that  a  man  who 
lives  the  life  of  a  hermit,  cannot  know  Christ  and  the 
fullness  of  his  errand.  Moral  instruction  in  our 
schools  should  fit  the  child   for  a  life  full  of  activity 


Morals  141 

and  of  every  manly  virtue.  He  cannot  hope  to  escape 
from  the  evil  that  is  in  the  world.  The  tares  grow  with 
the  wheat,  the  perishable  flourishes  side  by  side  with 
the  imperishable.  Only  by  painstaking,  persistent 
culture  of  the  conscience  can  the  child  be  led  to 
distinguish  between  that  which  at  the  last  shall  be 
gathered  for  the  burning,  and  that  which  shall  be  gar- 
nered to  fill  the  store-house  of  infinite  existence. 

To  accomplish  the  ends  aimed  at  in  this  chapter  it 
is  necessary  that  you  teach 

Out  of  the  Abundance  of  the  Heart. 

Quotations  Worth  Reading 

the  cultivation  of  morality. 

Moral  training  promotes  intellectual  advancement.  This  it 
does  by  giving  a  high  and  sustained  energy,  such  as  a  sense  of 
duty  and  moral  principle  can  alone  supply,  by  removing 
hindrances  to  progress,  and  by  the  questions  which  it  offers  for 
examination  and  careful  judgment. 

—John  Gill. 

Functions  of  moral  sentiment:  (i)  It  deals  with  voluntary 
human  action— conduct.  (2)  It  considers  motive  or  intention. 
(3)  Its  judgment  is  really  on  character. 

— Selected. 

It  should  not  be  claimed  that  there  is  no  art  or  science  of 
training  up  to  virtue.  Remember  how  absurd  it  would  be  to 
believe  that  even  the  most  trifling  employment  has  its  rules  and 
methods,  and  at  the  same  time  that  the  highest  of  all  departments 
of  human  effort — virtue — can  be  mastered  without  instruction 
and  practice. 

— Cicero. 

The  home  life  and  the  school  life  of  the  child  should  prepare  him 
for  transition  to  freedom  by  effective  training  in  self-control  and 
self-guidance,  and  to  this  end  the  will  must  be  disciplined  by  an 
increasing  use  of  motives  that  quicken  the  sense  of  right  and 
make  the  conscience  regal  in  conduct. 

— Emerson  E.  White. 
RELIGION  IN  THE  SCHOOL. 

Has  not  all  education  this  one  purpose,  that  the  pupil  shall  do 
consciously  and  with  free  self-decision  what  moral  instruction 
impresses  upon  him,  what  in  the  beginning,  however,  he  does 


142  Common   Se?ise  Didactics 

only  by  compulsion  from  parents  or  teachers,  as  well  as  from 
habit?  Education  should  create  a  will  which  harmonizes  with  the 
insight  determined  by  the  moral  ideas. 

— Habit  in  Education. 

From  the  preambles  to  the  constitutions  of  three  great  states: 

Iowa. — "We,  the  people  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  grateful  to  the 
Supreme  Being  for  blessings  hitherto  enjoyed,  and  feeling  our 
dependence  on  him  for  a  continuation  of  those  blessings,  do 
ordain  and  establish  a  free  and  independent  government." 

Minnesota. — "We,  the  people  of  the  State  of  Minnesota,  grate- 
ful to  God  for  our  civil  and  religious  liberty  ...  do  ordain  and 
establish  this  constitution." 

Wisconsin. — "We,  the  people  of  Wisconsin,  grateful  to 
Almighty  God  for  our  freedom,  ...  do  establish  this  constitu- 
tion." 

The  cause  of  popular  education  never  received  a  greater  harm 
than  in  the  promulgation  of  the  idea  that  the  teaching  in  our 
schools  must  be  wholly  secular.  Whatever  tenets  distinguish  the 
various  sects,  whatever  is  a  matter  of  serious  controversy  in  faith 
or  doctrine,  is  rightfully  excluded;  but  honor,  honesty,  justice, 
love,  fear,  reverence,  purity,  obedience,  the  claims  of  God,  and 
right,  and  duty,  may  be  taught,  and  infringe  on  no  man's 
conscience. 

— Iowa  School  Report. 
MOTIVES. 

The  best  motive  which  the  circumstances  will  admit  of  is  the 
one  to  which  appeal  should  be  made ;  and  the  lower  ones  should 
be  so  used  as  to  lead  gradually  up  to  those  of  higher  character. 
We  must  be  content  with  small  things  at  first;  to  get  a  child  to 
act  from  principle  at  all,  even  of  low  character  is  a  great  point 
gained. 

—Joseph  London. 

It  is  neither  just  nor  wise  to  charge  the  worst  motive  of  them 
all  with  more  than  its  due  share  of  influence.  The  worst  motives 
may  be  pointed  out  to  excite  an  inversion  of  them,  and  they 
should  not  be  excused  because  an  offender  is  able  to  point  out 
some  better  associated  motives,  but  after  a  clear  analysis  of  all 
the  motives  it  should  be  the  endeavor  to  develop  the  feelings  that 
will  prevent  such  action  and  strengthen  correct  motives. 

-Selected. 
THE  IVILL. 

The  Training  of  the  Will : 

1.  Training  should  follow  the  order  of  growth. 

2.  It  should  proceed  through  instruction  and  exercise. 

3.  It  should  demand  good  discipline. 

4.  It  should  demand  the  formation  of  good  habits. 

5.  It  should  study  disposition, 

6.  It  should  encourage  self-education. 

—Dexter  and  Garlick. 


Morals  14J 

We  mean  by  the  Will  that  constituent  of  a  man's  being  by 
which  he  is  capable  of  free  action,  knowing  himself  to  be  thus 
capable;  just  as  we  mean  by  the  Intellect,  that  constituent  of  his 
being  by  which  he  is  capable  of  thought,  knowing  himself  to  be 
thus  capable. 

— Mark  Hopkins. 

The  other  and  more  pleasing  aspect  of  the  teacher's  work  in 
aiming  at  the  foundation  of  character  is  the  encouragetnent  of  all 
good-dispositio7is .  The  nourishment  of  the  good  is  the  surest 
way  of  repressing  the  evil. 

— Henry  Calderwood. 
CONSCIENCE. 

Conscience  includes  not  only  a  susceptibility  to  feeling  of  a 
certain  kind  but  a  power  or  faculty  of  recognizing  the  presence  of 
certain  qualities  in  actions  (rightness,  justice,  etc.),  or  of  judging 
an  act  to  have  a  certain  moral  character. 

—James  Sully. 

A  tender  conscience  of  all  things  ought  to  be  tenderly  handled ; 
for  if  you  do  not,  you  injure  not  only  the  conscience,  but  the  whole 
moral  frame  and  constitution  is  injured,  recurring  at  times  to 
remorse,  and  seeking  refuge  only  in  making  the  conscience 
callous. 

— Burke. 

Conscience  is  the  light  God  has  placed  in  every  human  breast 
to  enable  us  to  know  right  from  wrong — a  monitor  that  gives  us 
peace  and  joy  when  we  have  done  our  duty,  and  fills  us  with 
sorrow  and  remorse  when  we  have  come  short  of  its  requirements. 

—J.  P.  Wickersham. 
EXAMPLE. 

The  teacher  should  be  patient,  full  of  hope,  of  a  cheerful  spirit, 
generous,  a  lover  of  children,  full  of  benevolence,  just,  a  lover  of 
order,  a  reverencer  of  God  and  his  laws,  conscientious,  firm,  with 
a  talent  to  command. 

—  The  School  and  the  Schoolmaster. 

I  look  back  to-night  and  count  nearly  a  score  of  teachers  on  my 
fingers,  and  raise  the  question  of  their  influence  upon  me.  Just 
one  crowds  any  or  all  of  the  others  out,  and  that  one  was  neither 
the  handsomest  nor  the  most  learned  among  them.  He  was  the 
only  one,  however,  who  seemed  to  live  wholly  in  his  pupils. 

—A.R.  Taylor. 

The  teacher  by  his  example  does  teach  for  good  or  evil  whether 
he  will  or  not.  Indifference  will  not  excuse  him,  for  when  most 
indifferent  he  is  not  the  less  accountable. 

—David  P.  Page. 


X44  Common   Sense  Didactics 

A  THOUGHT  FOR  SEVEN  DAYS 
To  be  honest,  to  be  kind ;  to  earn  a  little  and  to  spend  a  little 
less;  to  make  upon  the  whole  a  family  happier  for  his  presence; 
to  renounce  when  that  shall  be  necessary  and  not  be  embittered ; 
to  keep  a  few  friends,  but  these  without  capitulation.  Above  all, 
on  the  same  grim  condition,  to  keep  friends  with  himself;  here  is 
a  task  for  all  that  a  man  has  of  fortitude  and  delicacy. 

— Robert  Louts  Stevenson. 

Questions  for  Examination 

/.  Name  those  virtues  which  the  public  school  may  rightly 

inculcate. 
2.  How  far  may  instruction  in  morals  be  carried  in  the  public 

schools? 
j».  What  three  terms  are  used  in  discussing  the  question  of 

moral  training?    Discuss  them. 

4.  How  may  motives  be  classified? 

5.  Define  the  will. 

6.  What  is  conscience? 

7.  How  may  conscience  be  trained? 

8.  Why  is  it  necessary  to  develop  the  conscience  of  the  child? 

9.  What  is  said  of  children  who  are  deficient  in  conscience? 
JO.  What  is  the  design  of  education  as  concerns  the  character? 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

/.  What  can  I  do  for  the  most  careless  child  in  my  school? 

2.  What  for  the  worst  child? 

J.  How  can  I  stimulate  the  idle  to  study? 

4.  What  remedy  can  I  devise  to  break  up  truancy? 

J.  The  effect  of  my  personal  example. 


CHAPTER    VIII 

HABITS 
A  Helping  Hand 

Then  sow ;  for  the  hours  are  fleeting, 

And  the  seed  must  fall  to-day : 
And  care  not  what  hands  shall  reap  it, 

Or  if  you  shall  have  passed  away 
Before  the  waving  cornfields 

Shall  gladden  the  sunny  day. 

—Adelaide  Anne  Procter 

To  you,  teachers,  has  been  given  the  most  delicate  work  God 
has  ever  given  to  mortal  man, — to  train  immortal  mind  to  a 
destiny  worthy  of  its  Creator.  You  are  to  stand  before  God's 
angels,  little  children,  and 

"Ever,  evermore,  shall  it  be  thine 
To  mark  the  growing  meaning  in  their  eyes. 
And  catch,  with  ever  fresh  surprise  and  joy, 
Their  dawning  recognition  of  the  world." 

—Jonathan  Piper. 

George  Macdonald  uttered  a  most  beautiful  sentiment  when  he 
said:  "The  woman  who  takes  into  her  heart  her  own  children 
may  be  a  very  ordinary  woman,  but  the  woman  who  takes  into 
her  heart  the  children  of  others, — she  is  one  of  God's  mothers." 

THE  formation  of  habits  has   such   an   important 
bearing  upon  the  growth   of  character  that    I 
have  deemed  it  worthy  of  a  chapter  by  itself.     Habit 

rules  the  life  of  everyone.     We  cannot  con- 

-.  ,  ^,  .  , ,  .   .  c     Habits  and 

ceive  or  such  a  thing  as  the  existence  or    character. 

man  without  habits.     The  first  and  perhaps 

the  greatest  problem  which  confronts  a  teacher  is  how 

to  form  correct  habits  of  action  in  the  life  of  the  child, 

and  this  problem   is  often   intensified  by  the  necessity 

of   first   breaking  up   those  which    are  vicious.      You 

must  eradicate  the  evil  before  the  good  will  flourish. 

10  145 


146  Co  mm  0  71   Se7ise  Didactics 

Remember  also  that  bad  habits  cannot  be  broken  up 
until  you  present  to  the  mind  of  the  child  some  motive 
for  the  formation  of  better  ones.     (See  page  130.) 

To  the  question,  "What  is  habit?"  I  give  this 
answer:  Habit  is  that  manner  of  doing  or  living  which 
characterizes  the  individuality  of  the  man.  What  is 
the  origin  of  habit?  Sometimes  it  is  part  of  man's 
heritage;  sometimes  habits  are  the  fruit  of  unconscious 
tuition;  sometimes  they  are  formed  through  the  influ- 
ence of  depraved  motives,  while  the  child  is  ignorant 
of  the  result;  and  sometimes  they  are  the  truit  of  cafreful, 
judicious  instruction  and  discipline. 

Motives  induce  habits,  and  thus  control  the  activ- 
ities of  body  and  mind.  A  change  of  habit  can  be 
induced  only  through  a  change  of  motives.  (See 
page  131.) 

But  it  is  through  education  alone  the  influence  of  a 
superior  upon  an  inferior  that  the  child  becomes 
enlightened  enough  to  distinguish  between  worthy  and 
unworthy  motives,  and  free  enough  to  renounce  one 
habit  and  adopt  another.  This  is  true  in  manhood  as 
in  childhood  and  youth,  but  the  man  is  himself  both 
schoolmaster  and  pupil;  thenceforth  emancipated  from 
his  teachers  his  future  depends  upon  whether  he  has  a 
true  conception  of  right,  whether  this  conception  is 
realized  in  himself,  and  whether  he  can  subordinate 
both  the  conception  and  the  realization  to  right  lines 
of  action. 

The  individuality  of  every  man  has  two  sides — the 
particular,  which  characterizes  him  as  a  unit,  and 
the  universal,  through  which  he  comes  in  contact  with 
others  of  his  race.  His  habits  partake  of  this  dual- 
ism; some  of  them  as  his  speech,  his  walk,  his  laugh, 
are  individual  only;    they  are  passive  in   their  nature 


Habits  147 

and  do  not  reach  beyond  his  own  experience.  Others, 
as  his  habits  of  work,  of  obedience,  of  sympathy,  of 
cheerfulness,  are  universal.  They  are  active  in  their 
nature  and  affect  all  with  whom  he  associates. 

Habits  are   very  largely   the  result   of   unconscious 
tuition   during   childhood    and   youth.       No   one   can 
say  that  any  knowledge  is  wasted,  because   Power  of 
no  one  can  trace  the  lineage  of  his    present    unconscious 
thought  and  action  back  to  its  first  cause.  ^ 

I  do  not  know  what  made  me  what  I  am  to-day, 
because  my  line  of  mental  and  moral  action  is  the 
resultant  of  many  influences  and  motives,  no  two  of 
which  run  in  parallel  directions. 

Think  naught  a  trifle,  though  it  small  appears: 
Small  sands  the  mountains,  moments  make  the  years, 
And  trifles  life. 

And  yet  as  I  am  conscious  of  my  being  so  am  I 
conscious  that  the  truths  which  have  the  deepest  root 
in  my  soul  are  those  of  earliest  growth.  The  seed 
which  matures  before  the  early  frosts  was  sown 
before  the  weeds  sprang  up,  received  the  dews  while 
yet  the  nights  were  longest  and  the  sunshine  while 
the  skies  were  clearest  and  the  days  were  brightest. 
The  body  grows  weary  with  study,  learning  is  treach- 
erous, a  hidden  traitor  lies  between  the  covers  of  every 
book,  but  those  lessons  which  we  learned  in  youth, 
without  conscious  effort  of  the  mind, — theirs  is 

That  friendship  which  first  came  and  which  shall  last  endure. 

VVe  do  not  make  enough  of  the  power  of  uncon- 
scious thought — of  what  German  writers  style  "pre- 
conscious  activity  of  mind."  The  thoughts  of  our 
silent  hours — they  enter  without  salutation,  they  walk 
by  our  side  through  the  street,  they  sit  with  us  through 


1^8  Co  mm  0  71   Sense  Didactic  s 

our  reveries  by  the  evening  fire,  they  are  present  in  our 
dreams,  they  depart  without  farewells;  life  alone  can 
give  us  power  to  read  what  they  have  written.  (See 
page  67.) 

We  have  no  occasion  then  to  teach  the  child  to 
think;  to  him  thought  is  as  natural  as  his  breath.  We 
can,  however,  so  place  within  his  reach  knowledge 
of  facts,  of  actions  and  results,  that  through  the  uncon- 
scious activity  of  his  mind,  they  become  assimilated, 
imbedded  into  his  being  and  are  forever  a  part  of  his 
soul. 

One  thing  more  must  be  said  in  this  connection; 
between  the  child's  moral  and  intellectual  growth  there 
Moral  and  ^^  a  broad  distinction.  The  child  waxes 
intellectual  strong  intellectually  by  what  he  does  for 
grow  .  himself;  his  moral  nature,  especially  in 
early  childhood,  is  formed  for  him  rather  than  by  him. 
In  later  years  it  develops  into  a  growth  rather  than  a 
formation.  Carpenter,  in  his  Mental  Physiology^  speaks 
of  the  "moral  atmosphere"  in  which  the  child  lives, 
the  breathing  of  which  is  as  involuntary  as  is  the 
action  of  the  respiratory  organs  of  his  body.  Intel- 
lectual force  and  moral  force  develop  side  by  side,  but 
each  has  its  roots  in  different  soil,  and  each  is 
nourished  through  a  different  process. 

If  commenced  at  an  early  age  with  this  end  in  view 
education  can  be  so  directed  as  to  control  and  fashion 
habit,  but  habit  once  formed  is  very  apt  to  resist,  if  not 
defy,  education.    Habit  is  characterized  by  persistency. 

There  are  certain  personal  habits  which  are  the  basis 
Personal  of  all  moral  training.  I  use  the  word  train- 
habits.  jj^g  jj^  j|.g  strict  sense,  "to  form  by  practice.  " 

Out  of  the  many  habits  which  the  school  should  aid 
in  forming  I  have  selected: 


Habits  I4g 

(i)  Neatness. — In  this  I  include  personal  cleanliness. 
It  can  best  be  taught  by  example.  If  necessary  to 
speak  to  a  pupil  about  his  personal  appearance  it  should 
be  done  privately;  never  in  the  presence  of  others,  so 
as  to  mortify  the  child.  A  neat,  tidy  appearance 
about  the  wardrobes  and  in  the  schoolroom  is  a  very 
efficient  aid  in  the  management  of  pupils.  Careless- 
ness in  this  respect  is  little  short  of  being  criminal. 
Some  one  says,  with  much  truth,  that  to  teach  the 
child  to  come  to  school  with  clean  hands  and  face,  to 
brush  his  teeth  and  black  his  shoes,  is  to  put  him  in 
the  way  of  leading  a  godly  life.  Not  only  is  cleanli- 
ness next  to  goldliness,  but  in  many  cases  there  can 
be  no  godliness  without  cleanliness. 

(2)  Order. — I  do  not  mean  discipline,  but  having  a 
place  for  everything  and  everything  in  its  place. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  useful  habits  which  you  can 
help  the  child  to  form.  If  he  becomes  a  business 
man  it  will  save  him  much  time  and  vexation  of  spirit. 

In  the  early  days  a  conductor  of  the  teacher's  insti- 
tute was  accustomed  to  number  each  hook  or  nail  in 
the  wardrobe  and  to  give  a  corresponding  number  to 
every  teacher.  Then  he  directed  each  teacher  to 
hang  hats  and  wraps  on  the  hook  corresponding  in 
number  to  the  one  he  held.  He  sent  the  monitor  out 
after  the  exercises  commenced,  and  if  any  clothing 
was  found  out  of  place  the  owner  was  brought  to 
account.  When  asked  why  he  did  this  he  answered: 
"I  consider  this  as  useful  a  lesson  as  anything  they 
learn  at  the  institute." 

(3)  Regularity,  including  Punctuality. — Tardiness  and 
irregularity  of  attendance  are  most  prevalent  in  small 
towns  and  in  country  districts.  It  is  difficult  to  break 
these  habits  up  because  parents  do  not  stop  to  consider 


i§0  Common   Sense   Didactics 

how  injurious  they  are  to  the  future  welfare  of  the 
child.  Make  the  children  understand  that  no  business 
man  will  tolerate  about  his  establishment  a  clerk  who 
is  habitually  late.  There  is  one  rule  which  I  commend 
to  you,  given  to  me  by  an  old  teacher:  "I  do  not  fail 
to  inquire,  personally  if  possible,  into  every  case  of 
absence  and  tardiness  as  soon  as  I  can  after  it  occurs. 
By  this  means  I  manage,  to  impress  upon  parents  and 
pupils  the  idea  that  I  am  continually  concerned  in 
the  attendance  at  school."  The  best  remedy  for 
irregularity  which  I  can  devise  is  to  make  everything 
about  the  school  as  cheerful  and  attractive  as  possible. 
Let  the  children  learn  by  heart  this  saying  of  Horace 
Mann's:  ''Lost,  yesterday y  somewhere  betzvee?i  sunrise 
and  sunset,  tuuo  golden  hours^  each  set  with  sixty  dia- 
mond minutes.  No  reward  is  offered,  for  they  are  gone 
forever.''  Children  generally  are  not  impressed  with 
the  value  of  time  or  the  consequence  of  lost  oppor- 
tunities. 

You  may,  however,  be  too  strenuous  upon  this 
point.  Irregularity  and  tardiness  must  not  be  reckoned 
as  a  crime  or  placed  in  the  same  class  with  falsehood, 
theft  or  swearing.  A  certain  amount  of  irregularity  is 
excusable,  and  sometimes  perfect  attendance  is 
attained  at  too  great  a  sacrifice  of  more  important 
matters.  A  teacher  who  had  worked  up  great  enthusi- 
asm in  this  matter  once  confessed  to  me:  *T  have 
overdone  this  matter.  If  a  child  comes  in  late  the 
other  pupils  are  ready  to  point  their  fingers  at  him. 
If  he  should  tell  me  a  lie  they  would  think  nothing  of 
that."  She  also  added:  "When  I  have  called  the 
roll  and  it  is  evident  that  everyone  is  here  they  settle 
back  in  their  seats,  as  much  as  to  say,  *\Ve  have  done 
our  duty,  you  must  do  the  rest  of  the  work.'  "     When 


Habits  151 

you  can  rid  the  school  of  all  inexcusable  irregularity, 
that  is  sufficient. 

(4)  Obedie7ice. — It  may  not  have  occurred  to  you  that 
obedience  or  disobedience  is  a  habit  with  most  chil- 
dren. Some  of  the  children  come  from  homes  where 
such  a  thing  as  disobedience  is  never  thought  of, 
others  from  homes  in  which  disobedience  is  the  rule, 
and  obedience  the  exception.  Great  allowances  are 
to  be  made,  and  progress  in  the  right  direction  will 
be  slow,  but  by  some  means  obedience  must  be  exacted 
from  every  pupil.  A  director  once  said  to  a  teacher 
who  had  just  signed  his  contract,  "You  will  find  us 
all  ready  to  sustain  your  authority,  but  when  you 
find  that  you  cannot  govern  the  school  come  to  us 
and  resign.  We  will  cancel  the  contract,  but  this 
community  cannot  afford  to  tolerate  a  disobedient 
school." 

To  allow  disobedience  is  the  surest  road  to  making 
the  child  unhappy.  If  you  would  have  children  love 
and  respect  you  insist  upon  prompt,  cheerful  obedi- 
ence. If  you  find  it  necessary  to  say  to  a  child,  "You 
must  do  that,"  or  "You  must  not  do  so,"  then  you 
lower  your  authority  unless  you  see  to  it  that  he  obeys. 
For  this  reason  it  is  better  sometimes  to  put  your 
commands  in  the  form  of  suggestions  and  leave  much 
to  the  discretion  of  the  child.  This  is  a  stronger  foun- 
dation upon  which  to  build  a  permanent  habit  of 
obedience,  and  that  is  what  we  really  desire  to  do.  I 
grant  that  obedience  must  sometimes  be  enforced,  and 
that  disobedience  must  be  punished.  But  the  child 
who  obeys  simply  because  the  teacher  or  the  parent  is 
stronger  than  he,  is  not  forming  that  habit  of  obedience 
which  will  make  of  him  a  "law-abiding  citizen."  An 
old  writer  says:     "Try  to  make  obedience  honorable. 


1^2  Co  mm  0  71   Sense  Didactic  s 

and  disobedience  dishonorable,  and  thus  lift  your 
school  into  the  atmosphere  of  right  actions." 

(5)  Civility. — The  teacher  who  would  win  civility 
from  the  pupils  must  himself  be  civil.  Civility  is  in 
the  spirit  of  the  act.  Do  not  be  too  ready  to  take 
offense  at  rudeness  or  boorishness.  Perhaps  the  child 
does  not  know  any  better,  and  by  acting  out  his  nature 
gives  you  an  opportunity  to  inculcate  better  manners. 
In  this  respect  our  schools  are  deficient.  It  is  very 
different  in  the  schools  of  the  old  world.  There 
children  are  taught  to  respect  those  who  are  older  or 
who  are  placed  over  them  as  rulers  or  teachers. 

Civility  includes  politeness  to  others;  it  is  the  oppo- 
site of  rudeness  which  children  should  be  taught  to 
shun.  It  includes  good  behavior  on  the  street  and  in 
public  places.  It  is  an  acquisition  to  be  able  to  sit 
erect  and  quietly  while  making  or  receiving  calls  in  the 
parlor.  In  fact  civility  is  the  fine  art  which  marks  the 
real  lady  or  the  perfect  gentleman. 

In  going  from  one  -school  to  another,  I  overtook  a 
little  Norwegian  boy  with  a  large  bundle  of  clothes  on 
his  head.  He  evidently  had  been  in  the  country  but  a 
few  weeks.  I  told  him  to  jump  in  and  I  would  carry 
him.  At ^  certain  corner  he  said,  "I  gets  out  here." 
After  he  had  taken  out  his  bundle  he  took  off  his  cap 
and  with  a  very  graceful  bow  he  said,  "You  are  very 
much  obliged  to  me,  sir,  for  this  ride."  The  action 
was  the  purest  civility  I  ever  saw. 

There  are  additional  habits,  moral  in  their  nature, 
which  it  is  your  duty  to  foster  in  the  child.  Among 
them  are  temperance,  purity,  reverence,  self-control, 
respect  for  the  rights  of  others.  Then  there  also  are 
intellectual  habits,  as  attention,  concentration,  study, 
application,  diligence,   industry.     Bear    in  mind  that 


Habits  i^j 

every  child  comes  to  you  confirmed  in  these  habits  or 
in  their  opposites,  and  that  the  only  way  to  eradicate 
a  bad  habit  is  to  introduce  some  motive  as  an  incentive 
for  forming  a  better  one.  Bear  also  in  mind  contin- 
ually that  you  cannot  inculcate  in  a  child  a  habit  which 
you  yourself  do  not  constantly  exercise.  An  English 
writer  says:  "A  child  more  readily  attempts  what  he 
sees  done  than  obeys  a  command  addressed  to  it  in 
words."     (See  page  20.) 

I  cannot  better  illustrate  what  I  want  to  say  than 
by  asking  you  to  read  carefully  the  following:  If  you 
are    to    attempt    anything    in    the   way   of 

Nature  Studies,  the  basis  of  which  is  obser-       ^^^  ^^^^^ 

of  seeing 

vation  m  your  school,  as  I  hope  you  will,       things. 
keep    in    mind    the    following    directions: 

(a)  Choose  your  subjects  with  reference  to  awaken- 
ing an  interest  and  imparting  information.  Some 
authors  will  tell  you  that  to  impart  information  is  not 
one  of  the  objects  to  be  sought  in  Nature  Study.  .  If 
that  be  true  then  Nature  Study  has  no  place  in  the 
school  curriculum. 

(b)  Connect  lessons  so  as  to  form  a  series,  each 
lesson  depending  upon  the  others.  This  gives  an 
opportunity  for  review  and  restatement  of  facts  and 
principles. 

(c)  Make  thorough  and  exhaustive  preparation  on 
your  own  part.  A  more  careful  preparation  is 
demanded  of  the  primary  teacher  than  of  one  in  the 
higher  grades. 

(d)  On  the  one  hand  avoid  sameness,  deadness, 
routine,  ruts;  on  the  other  hand  avoid  scatteration, 
aimlessness  and  a  wasteful  use  of  words. 

Nature  Study  embraces  all  things  pertaining  to  the 
laws  of  the  natural  world.     In   Waymarks  for  Teachers 


75^  Common   SeJise  Didactics 

the  author  says:  "The  immediate  ends  in  view  in  the 
nature  lesson  are  observation,  knowledge,  expression 
and  enjoyment."  Among  the  many  points  to  be 
emphasized  in  Nature  Study,  I  commend  the  following, 
written  by  Margaret  W.  Morley: 

"There  is  nothing  in  nature  more  delightful  than  the 
mutual  helpfulness  of  plants  and  insects,  and  the 
helpfulness  of  the  different  parts  of  plants  to  each 
other.  Help  the  young  people  to  feel  this  mutual 
helpfulness  and  to  know  that  it  is  as  true  and  as  impor- 
tant as  the  mutual  'struggle  for  existence'  about  which 
so  much  has  been  written  of  late.  In  fact  so  much 
stress  has  been  laid  upon  the  struggle  that  many  people 
as  a  result  of  their  scientific  study  have  come  to  hold  the 
untrue  and  depressing  view  that  all  life  is  a  carnage. 
This  is  but  half  the  truth,  there  is  another  side  to  life, 
and  that  is  the  side  of  mutual  helpfulness." 

Nature  Study  also  should  be  made  to  have  a  strong 

bearing   upon   the  ethical   training  of  the  child.     He 

,.  .  should  be  taught  in  school  to  care  for  the 

Nature  ,  ,        .       ,        ,  ,       , 

Study  and     domesticated  animals  about  the  home,   to 

ethical  \q\^  and  protect  the  birds  that  frequent  the 

training.  ,        ,  ,  ,  ,  r     i 

orchard  and  garden,  the  songsters  or  the 

wood,  and  the  squirrels  that  make  their  nests  in  hollow 

trees  or  in  the  stone  wall  by  the  wayside.     Sometimes 

the  boy  whom  you  call  "bad"  has   the   most   intimate 

acquaintance  with   Dame  Nature  and  the  denizens  of 

her  secret  haunts.    Possibly  the  key  which  unlocks  the 

dull  intellect  of  the  "stupid  child"  may  be  found  in 

the  keen  delight  which  he  manifests  in  telling  you  of 

the  marvelous  cunning  and    ingenuity  of   beasts  and 

birds  which  he  has  discovered  while  wandering  in  the 

woods  or  fishing  in  the  streams  of  the  neighborhood. 

Take  into  the  schoolroom  with  you  as  much  as  pos- 


Habits  IS5 

sible  of  the  light  and  freshness  of  out-door  life.  Be 
patient  with  the  boys  and  girls  if  at  the  beginning  of 
the  year  they  are  a  little  restless  under  the  restraint 
of  school.  If  they  seem  to  forget  some  things  which 
they  have  studied  in  the  books,  see  if  they  have  not 
learned  other  things  during  their  rambles  in  the  fields 
and  woods  which  they  will  always  remember.  Nature 
is  a  skillful  teacher,  and  her  books  are  wonderfully 
illustrated.  She  keeps  a  summer  school,  and  counts 
her  pupils  by  the  thousands.  To  despise  her  teachings 
is  to  despise  also  the  little  ones  whom  she  has  taught. 

Do  not  overlook  the  necessity  of  cultivating  in 
children  the  importance  of  seeing  things  as  they  go 
along  through  life.  A  gentleman  of  liberal  education 
was  one  day  visiting  a  farmer.  He  took  occasion  to 
question  the  son,  a  lad  of  fourteen,  in  some  of  the 
common  branches  and  expressed  his  astonishment  at 
the  boy's  want  of  knowledge.  A  day  or  two  afterwards 
they  were  riding  along  a  country  road  and  the  boy 
commented  upon  the  crops  as  they  rode  by  the  fields. 
"That  corn  won't  pay  for  gathering.  The  man  did  not 
know  how  to  cultivate  it."  "Hold  on  here;  that  is  a 
fine  piece  of  corn.  It  beats  anything  I  have  seen." 
Then  he  handed  the  reins  to  the  gentleman,  jumped 
over  the  fence  and  disappeared.  Pretty  soon  he  came 
back.  "That  is  a  great  field.  I'll  bet  it  will  go 
seventy-five  bushels  to  the  acre."  "Why,"  said  the 
gentleman,  "you  do  know  something  after  all."  The 
boy  replied  without  any  impudence  in  his  tones,  "Yes, 
and  you  would  know  as  much  as  I  do  if  you  would  keep 
your  eyes  open." 

Patriotism  is  an  emotion,  a  feeling  which  prompts  to 
action  whenever  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which 
we   dwell  is   concerned.      Some  one  says   very  truly: 


1^6  Common   Sense  Didactics 

"Just  as  all  duty  in  the  eyes  of  the  believers  is  duty 
towards  God,  so  to  one  who  loves  his  country  all  duty 
becomes  a  duty  to  it."  There  is  as  much 
Patriotism,  patriotism  in  endeavoring  to  elect  a  compe- 
tent man  to  the  office  of  school  director  as  in 
choosing  the  president  of  the  United  States.  The  man 
who  lays  aside  all  business  for  the  time  in  order  that 
he  may  go  to  the  polls  to  vote  is  a  patriot,  just  as  much 
as  he  who  shoulders  his  gun  and  goes  out  to  face  the 
enemies  of  his  country's  flag. 

It  is  right  that  children  should  be  taught  to  salute 
the  flag,  to  reverence  our  great  names  in  history,  and 
to  be  proud  of  our  heroes,  both  the  living  and  the 
dead.  But  they  should  be  brought  to  see  that  obedi- 
ence at  home  and  in  school  leads  them  to  become  law- 
abiding  citizens;  that  idleness  in  childhood  is  the 
beginning  of  thriftlessness  in  manhood;  that  criminal 
life  in  the  world  originates  in  a  disregard  in  youth  of 
the  rights  of  others.  In  a  word,  true  patriotism  can 
best  be  taught  by  a  personal  appeal  to  those  qualities 
which  ought  to  characterize  American  citizenship. 

It  makes  but  little  difference  to  the  school  whether 
alcohol,  in  a  technical  sense,  is  classed  by  scientists 
as  a  poison  or  a  food.  As  teachers  we  are 
temperance,  "^t  called  upon  to  determine  the  question. 
The  ends  which  we  hope  to  reach  through 
temperance  instruction  are  to  inoculate  the  mind  of  the 
child  with  true  ideas  of  the  effects  of  alcohol,  tobacco 
and  narcotics,  upon  the  physical  frame,  and  to  con- 
vince him  that  total  abstinence  is  the  only  path  of 
safety  if  he  desires  success  in  the  business  of  life.  By 
continuing  this  instruction  from  year  to  year  we  may 
hope  to  shape  such  habits  of  abstinence  as  will  render 
him  secure  against  those  temptations  which  are  leading 


Habits  157 

so  many  American  youths  to  destruction.  It  is  every- 
thing to  implant  right  ideas,  to  establish  right  habits  of 
moral  action  early  in  life.  It  is  of  equal  importance 
to  guard  the  child  against  the  introduction  of  wrong 
ideas  and  the  adoption  of  wrong  rules  of  conduct. 

In  its  persistency  error  has  a  seeming  advantage  over 
truth.  As  with  the  camel  and  the  Arab,  let  a  false 
idea  of  right,  or  duty,  or  manhood  once  fairly  insert 
its  head,  with  the  owner's  permission,  and  it  will  not 
rest  until  it  possesses  the  whole  tent.  I  believe  that 
the  teacher  who  does  not  inculcate  the  doctrine  of 
total  abstinence  as  the  only  path  of  safety  falls  far 
short  of  his  duty. 

Again,  the  enormous  evils  which  these  habits  inflict 
upon  individuals  are  multiplied  many-fold  because  of 
the  relations  which  men  bear  to  their  families  and  to 
those  with  whom  they  have  business  interests.  The 
evils  thus  produced  invade  every  station  in  life  and 
affect  all  classes  of  men. 

The  electric  chain  of  suffering,  as  of  pleasure, 
touches  every  point.  All  nature  has  a  common  lan- 
guage. Speech  and  thought  are  not  confined  to 
animate  things. 

The  palm-tree  dreameth  of  the  pine, 
The  pine-tree  of  the  palm. 

Through  the  effects  of  these  habits  broad  acres  have 
remained  unproductive,  and  mines  undeveloped;  ships, 
precious  with  freight  of  life  and  wealth,  have  gone 
down  in  mid-ocean,  and  vast  enterprises  have  mis- 
carried; houses  have  been  burned,  and  the  most  revolt- 
ing crimes  have  been  committed.  Because  of  their 
influence  men,  fitted  by  nature. 

To  sway  senates  with  a  statesman's  soul, 
Or  look  on  armies  with  a  leader's  eye, 


rj8  Co  mm 0  71   Sense  Didactics 

have  fallen  like  the  "Son  of  the  Morning";  and  the 
poet,  most  gifted  of  the  children  of  God,  has  for- 
feited his  high  estate; 

And  his  soul  from  out  that  shadow  that  lies  floating  on  the  floor, 
Shall  be  lifted  nevermore. 

Emphasize  the  fact  in  all  your  teaching  that  the  work 
of  the  world  is  to  be  done  by  sober  men.  The  large 
World's  railroad  corporations  have  stringent  rules 
work  done     forbidding  their  employes  to  use  intoxicants 

by  sober  \^  ^^y  form  or  even  to  be  known  as  visiting 
men.  -^  ° 

places  where  these  are  sold.  Other  corpora- 
tions are  equally  careful  to  fill  important  places  of  trust 
or  responsibility  with  men  whose  habits  are  strictly  tem- 
perate. These  and  other  facts  of  a  similar  nature 
brought  to  the  notice  of  an  ambitious  boy  will  make  a 
lasting  impression  and  will  strengthen  him  in  his 
determination  to  avoid  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors. 

But  zeal  in  instruction  must  be  thoroughly  tempered 
with  knowledge  or  it  will  prove  a  sword  without  a  hilt. 
It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  instruction  should  be  made 
a  matter  of  careful  study. 

In  some  districts  a  few  injudicious  words  would 
raise  a  tempest  of  opposition  that  would  nullify  all  the 
efforts  of  the  teacher.  In  others  an  unguarded  or 
rash  statement  would  bring  the  whole  matter  into 
ridicule.  The  daily  preparation  for  this  instruction  in 
temperance  hygiene  will  draw  upon  the  teacher's 
resources  and  knowledge  as  no  other  subject  can. 

As  paths  exist  in  which  the  blind  have  no  sight  to 
walk,  so  there  are  matters  concerning  life  and  death  in 
which  the  ignorant  have  no  right  to  instruct. 

So  also  concerning  the  spirit  of  this  special  instruc- 
tion I  desire  to  say  this:  Pains  must  be  taken  to  insure 


Habits  i^g 

for  the  truth  an  impartial  hearing.  The  teacher  must 
confine  himself  to  simple  statements  of  undisputed 
facts.  Such  illustrations  may  be  given  as  jy^^  s^irzt 
will  deepen  the  impression  upon  the  mind.  ofinstruc- 
But  the  instruction  must  in  no  sense  take 
the  form  of  a  temperance  lecture.  Many  children 
come  from  homes  in  which  much  that  might  be  said 
would  at  once  be  made  a  personal  matter.  Not  one 
of  these  little  ones  should  be  offended  by  this  instruc- 
tion. It  is  bad  enough  to  be  a  drunkard's  child  without 
having  it  brought  to  the  notice  of  the  school. 

The  evils  w^hich  arise  from  the  use  of  tobacco  call  for 
special  action  on  the  part  of  the  teacher.     Many  boards 
make  a    regulation  that  tobacco  in  every 
form  must  be  excluded  from  the  school  and    habit. 
school  grounds.     Such  a  rule  is  reasonable 
and  you  should  see  that  it  is  rigorously  enforced.    But 
the  tobacco  habit  cannot  be  broken  up  by  suspension, 
expulsion    or   whipping.      Bring   these   points   to    the 
notice   of   the   boys:     (i)    It    is    expensive;    (2)  It   is 
injurious   to   the    development    of    the   growing    boy; 

(3)  Figures  show  that  those  who  use  tobacco  very  sel- 
dom rank  high  in  scholarship  at  college  or  university; 

(4)  No  athlete  training  for  a  contest  is  allowed  to  use 
either  intoxicating  liquor  or  tobacco;  (5)  It  is  an 
uncleanly  habit  and  renders  the  person  addicted  to  it 
an  unpleasant  companion  in  society,  especially  of 
ladies.  Try  the  power  of  persuasion,  argument  and 
example,  and  never  despair  of  success  as  long  as  the 
boys  are  under  your  care. 

We  must  not  fail,  however,  to  invoke  the  most 
potent  of  all  influences — that  of  example.  "Thou 
therefore  that  teachest  another,  teachest  thou  not  thy- 
self?"   "Thou  that  preachest  another  man  should  not 


i6o  Common   Sense  Didactics 

steal,  dost  thou  steal?"     "Wherefore  if  meat  make  my 
brother  to  stumble,  I   will   eat  no  flesh   forevermore, 
that  I  make  not  my  brother  to  stumble." 
The  man  who  wrote  these  words  was  one  in  whom 

Persuasion  and  belief 
Had  ripened  into  faith,  and  faith  become 
A  passionate  intuition. 

Go  into  the  streets  at  nightfall  and  notice  the  boys 
who  are  loitering  about  the  corners  with  cigars  in  their 
mouths;  note  in  your  schoolrooms  the  number  whose 
clothing  is  saturated  with  the  perfume  of  smoke,  or 
whose  pockets  are  filled  with  tobacco  which  they  are 
too  willing  to  distribute  among  their  mates.  And  then 
before  you  tell  them  that  tobacco  unstrings  the 
nerves,  deadens  the  brain,  stunts  the  growth,  weakens 
the  muscles,  aggravates  and  often  causes  diseases  of 
the  heart,  ask  yourself  this  question  in  the  watches  of 
the  night  when  men's  thoughts  turn  inward:  "Is  it 
true  that  there  is  not  enough  of  the  grace  of  humanity, 
of  the  strength  of  Christian  manhood  within  me  to  give 
up  this  habit  for  the  sake  of  these  boys  with  whom  my 
duty  brings  me  in  daily  contact?" 

The  following  very  simple  classification  of  habits 
may  be  found  useful  as  an  aid  to  memory: 

Under  the  head  of  Training  we  may  include  the  per- 
sonal habits — cleanliness,  order,  regularity,  obedience, 

£,  civility.      These    include    what    is  usually 

Summary.  ,,,,..,.  ,     r  ,        ,       .        'e 

called   discipline,  and    form    the    basis   of 

moral  training.    A  neglect  of  any  one  of  these  impairs 
the  usefulness  of  the  school. 

Under  the  head  of  Instruction  we  may  place  these 
moral  habits — truthfulness,  reverence,  purity,  indus- 
try, self-respect.  Education  includes  these  mental 
habits — silence,  observation,  concentration  of  thought, 


Habits  i6i 

acquirement   of   knowledge,    reproduction    of   knowl- 
edge. 

It  is  first  a  little  thread,  then  a  string,  then  a  cord, 
then  a  rope,  and  last  a  strong  cable;  such  is  the  forma- 
tion of  a  habit.  There  is  need  that  in  breaking  up  a  bad 
habit  in  the  child,  the  teacher  should  be  ready  to  lend 

A  Helping  Hand. 


Quotations  Worth  Reading 

HABITS. 

As  without  instinct  the  infant  could  not  live  to  become  a  man, 
so  without  habit  man  would  remain  an  infant  through  life,  and 
would  be  as  helpless,  as  unhandy,  as  speechless,  and  as  much  a 
child  in  understanding  at  three-score  as  at  three. 

—Reid. 

If  the  period  of  habit -making  has  been  passed  wisely  in  the 
home  the  period  of  will-training  will  present  fewer  difficulties.  I 
cannot  emphasize  too  much  in  the  matter  of  will-training  the 
advantages  of  the  country  home.  The  good  will  is  there  more 
easily  fostered  because  the  boy  is  from  the  start  an  active  member 
of  the  firm. 

—  IVilltam  Byron  Forbush. 

Habit  is  the  tendency  to  assume  or  to  be  what  has  once  been, 
and  is  consequently  one  of  the  most  powerful  agencies  in  edu- 
cation. 

—Gill. 

Not  a  leaf  waves  in  the  wind,  not  a  drop  of  dew  comes  spark- 
ling out  of  nothing  to  gem  the  bladed  grass  with  orbs  of  light, 
without  telling  something  to  those  fitted  to  receive  it. 

—  Thring. 

In  brief,  a  habit  is  established  by  repeatedly  performing  an  act, 
and  it  is  destroyed  by  refraining  from  the  performance  of  the  act. 
In  no  other  way  can  a  habit  be  established  and  in  no  other  way 
can  a  habit  that  has  been  formed  be  removed.  Simply  to  refrain 
from  action  may  not  be  sufficient  for  a  life,  but  whatever  else  is 
done  nothing  will  break  down  a  habit  but  refraining  from  the 
action  which  has  become  habitual. 

—Smith. 

Moral  education  is  a  training  in  habits,  and  not  an  inculcation 
of  mere  theoretical  views. 

—  WHliam  T.  Harris. 


l62  Co  mm  0  71   Se?ise  Didactics 

THE  HABIT  OF  SEEING  THINGS. 

Questioning  is  not,  therefore,  merely  one  of  the  modes  of 
teaching,  it  is  the  whole  of  teaching:  it  is  the  excitation  of  the 
self-activities  to  their  work  of  discovering  truth,  learning  facts, 
knowing  the  unknown.  Nature  always  teaches  thus.  But  it  is 
•necessary  that  every  question  shall  be  in  the  interrogative  form. 
The  strongest  and  clearest  affirmation  may  have  all  the  effect  of 
the  sharpest  interrogation  if  the  mind  be  sufficiently  aroused  to  so 
receive  it.  An  explanation  may  be  so  given  as  to  raise  new 
questions  while  it  answers  old  ones. 

—John  M.  Gregory. 

Pupils  can  learn  to  read  by  reading  about  real  things  which  are 
in  close  touch  with  their  daily  lives,  and  which  they  wish  to 
remember,  as  well  as  by  reading  about  remote,  fictitious  things 
which  they  cannot  and  do  not  care  to  remember.  First-hand 
knowledge  should  be  learned  before  any  other. 

—Hiram  H  Shepard. 

PATRIOTISM. 

The  study  of  literature  again  has  its  value  as  a  training  in 
patriotism  of  the  honorable  and  reputable  kind  as  we  shall  see  by 
m spiring  a  rational  love  of  country  through  a  respect  for  its  great 
past  and  for  great  common  possessions. 

—P.  A.  Burnett. 

There  is  no  such  inculcation  of  patriotism  among  our  children 
as  among  the  children  of  some  other  lands.  If  I  had  my  way  I 
-would  hang  the  flag  in  every  schoolroom,  and  I  would  spend  an 
occasional  hour  in  singing  our  best  patriotic  songs,  in  declaiming 
the  masterpieces  of  our  national  oratory  and  in  rehearsing  the 
proud  story  of  our  national  life.  I  would  attempt  to  impress  upon 
all  the  supreme  value  of  their  inheritance,  and  the  sacred  duty  of 
transmitting  it  untarnished  and  unimpaired,  but  rather  broadened 
and  strengthened  to  the  millions  who  will  follow  after, 

— Andrew  S.  Draper. 

Really  patriotism  in  a  democracy  is  something  altogether  apart 
from  war  and  the  memories  and  rumors  of  wars,  and  in  America 
it  is  something  imaginably  apart  from  gunpowder  and  the  army, 
and  Fourth  of  Julys  and  Memorial  Days.  This  fact  the  public 
■school  should  teach  and  compass. 

—Rabbi  Charles  Fleischer. 

TEMPERANCE  HABITS. 

It  is  a  significant  fact  that  men  training  for  athletic  contests 
(no  matter  what  their  ordinary  habits  or  principles)  let  alcoholic 
drinks  alone.  One  of  the  famous  pugilists  said:  "I'm  no 
teetotaler,  but  when  I  have  business  on  hand  there's  nothing  like 
■water  and  dumb-bells. " 

—Colton. 


Habits  i6j 

"The  State  Demands  the  Moral  Education  of  the  People  as  the 
Safeguard  of  Order,  Liberty  and  Progress." 

—Motto  of  Boston's  Public  Library. 

Such  a  young  man  reverences  the  divine  skill  and  wisdom  by 
which  his  physical  frame  has  been  so  fearfully  and  wonderfully 
made,  and  he  keeps  it  pure  and  clean  as  a  fit  temple  for  the  living 
God.  For  every  indulgence  of  appetite  that  would  enervate  the 
body  or  dull  the  keen  sense  or  cloud  the  luminous  brain,  he  has  a 
"Get  thee  behind  me!"  so  stern  and  deep  that  the  balked  Satans 
of  temptation  shnk  from  behind  him  in  shame  and  despair. 

—Horace  Mann. 

Look  not  thou  upon  the  wine,  when  it  is  red ;  when  it  giveth 
his  color  in  the  cup;  when  it  moveth  itself  aright.  At  the  last  it- 
biteth  like  a  serpent  and  stingeth  like  an  adder. 

—Prov.  xxiii:  j/,  32. 
THE  TOBACCO  HABIT. 

Here  is  something  that  may  be  used  as  a  first-class  memory 
gem.  Write  it  in  large  letters  on  ycur  board  and  then  ask  the 
children  what  they  think  about  it: 

"I  am  not  much  of  a  mathematician,"  said  the  cigarette,  "but 
I  can  add  to  a  man's  nervous  troubles ;  I  can  subtract  from  his 
physical  energy ;  I  can  multiply  his  aches  and  pains ;  I  can  divide 
his  mental  powers;  I  can  take  interfMJt  from  his  work  and  discount 
his  chances  of  success." 

At  any  rate  I  hope  the  time  is  coming  when  the  good  taste  of 
teachers  and  a  regard  for  personal  neatness  and  the  comfort  of 
others  shall  present  motives  sufficiently  strong  to  induce  them  to 
break  away  from  a  practice  at  once  so  unreasonable  and  so  dis- 
gusting— the  use  of  tobacco. 

—Page. 

The  cigarette  has  been  found  to  be  even  more  harmful  than 
the  other  forms  of  smoking.  It  not  only  becomes  a  habit  that  it 
is  hard  to  abandon,  but  the  very  failure  which  so  many  make  in 
their  efforts  to  quit  its  use  showr>  \oo  plainly  that  it  undermines 
the  power  of  self-control,  and  so  is  a  weakening  of  that  vigor  of 
trained  will,  of  that  mastery  of  self,  which  is  a  part  of  the 
physical  as  well  as  of  the  inte^llectual  welfare  and  prowess  of 
manhood. 

—  Selected. 

Many  boys  seem  to  think  it  is  manly ;  they  wish  to  do  as  others 
do.  It  is  not  manly  to  imitate  any  one.  Do  nothing  simply 
because  some  one  else  does  it.  To  do  this  is  to  be  a  slave  to  be 
led.  And  one  bad  feature  of  i^he  tobacco  habit  is  that  one  makes 
himself  a  slave  to  the  weed. 

—Colton. 


164  Com 771  oil   Se?ise  Didactics 

Questions  for  Examination 

/.  What  is  habit? 

2.  Name  five  personal  habits, 

J.  What  do  you  understand  by  the  term  Nature  Study? 

4.  What  are  the  ends  in  view  in  this  branch? 

J.  Define  patriotism. 

6.  How  is  it  best  taught? 

7.  What  ends  are  to  be  kept  in  mind  in  temperance  instruction? 

8.  What  is  said  as  to  enforcing  obedience? 

9.  What  is  said  of  the  power  of  example  in  the  formation  of 

habits? 
10.  Why  should  you  cultivate  in  children  the  power  of  observa- 
tion? 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

/.  Who  was  Emerson  E.  White? 

2.  What  habits  have  I  of  which  I  should  like  to  be  rid? 

J.  In  what  book  do  you  find  the  expression..  "Gather  up  the 

fragments  that  nothing  be  lost"? 
4.  Do  you  know  whether  your  boys  smoke  cigarettes? 
J.  Where  do  the  boys  in  your  school  spend  their  evenings? 


CHAPTER  IX 

SCHOOL  GOVERNMENT 

In  the  King's  Name 

We  must  be  as  courteous  to  a  child  as  to  a  picture ;  give  it  the 
advantage  of  the  best  light. 

—Oliver  Wendell  Holmes. 

School  government  is  that  ordering  of  the  affairs  of  the  school 
which  is  necessary  to  the  attainment  of  its  proper  ends. 

— Henry  Calderwood. 

Brain-spinners,  who  have  never  taught  a  child,  might  just  as 
well  go  to  bed  and  dream  and  publish  their  dreams,  as  prescribe 
what  should  be  taught,  and  how,  in  total  ignorance  of  the 
problems  to  be  solved  in  teaching  a  child. 

—Edward  Thring. 

From  simply  commanding  he  should  proceed  to  explain  the 
reasons  of  his  commands ;  from  these  again  to  the  expression  of 
desires  and  the  manifestations  of  a  generous  confidence,  and  from 
these  to  the  frequent  option  and  discretion  of  the  child,  prepara- 
tory to  the  moment  of  giving  him  entirely  into  his  own  hands. 

\— William  T.  Harris. 

TO  govern  the  school  wisely  is  mainly  to  direct 
the  activities  of  the  children  into  right 
channels;  to  restrain  evil  tendencies,  and  to  encourage 
all  which  is  good;  to  implant  right  motives,  Govern- 

and  in  a  word  to  form  rather  than  to  reform.  ?neni. 

It  is  preventive  rather  than  curative.  With  this  point 
in  view  government  becomes  only  a  means  to  accom- 
plish certain  ends  in  the  growth  of  character. 

It  is  true  that  there  must  be  in  the  school  rules  and 
regulations  which  every  pupil  must  observe,  as  in  the 
family  and  the  state  there  are  laws  and  customs  to 
which  every  good  citizen  submits.  It  is  a  great  mis- 
take to  abrogate  all  authority  over  children.  "Thou 
shalt"  and  "thou  shalt  not"  is  part  of  God's  plan  from 

i6j 


l66  Common   Sense  Didactics 

which  there  is  no  escape.  We  shall  fail  in  our  purpose 
to  make  a  good  citizen  of  the  child  if  he  is  left  free 
to  accept  or  reject  as  he  pleases  whatever  truth  or 
error  presents  itself  to  him,  without  regard  to  the  advice 
or  counsel  of  those  in  authority  over  him. 

The  ends  of  school  government  are  twofold:  First, 
the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  order  in  and 
about  the  school  so  that  its  affairs  may  be  carried  on 
with  as  little  friction  and  disturbance  as  possible; 
second,  the  enabling  of  the  child  to  form  for  himself 
such  habits  of  self-control,  such  command  over  his 
passions,  emotions  and  feelings  that  he  may  be  pre- 
pared to  meet  the  temptations,  the  labors  and  the 
trials  of  mature  years.  The  first  of  these  points  we 
shall  discuss  under  the  head  of  authority,  and  the  sec- 
ond  under  that  of  infl2ic7ice. 

Every  one  who  attempts  to  control  or  direct  the 
actions  of  another  should  be  able  to  point  out  the 
source  and  extent  of  his  power.  He  should 
^^ ^'  also  thoroughly  comprehend  its  limitations 
so  that  he  may  not,  through  his  assumption  of  power, 
bring  his  authority  into  disrepute  and  contempt. 
There  can  be  no  greater  mistake  made  in  school  gov- 
ernment than  for  a  teacher  to  keep  his  authority  too 
prominently  before  the  school.  Such  a  course  stirs 
up  the  worst  emotions  of  pride  and  self-will,  and  tends 
directly  to  incite  rebellion  against  all  restrictions. 

The  source  of  authority  is  in  the  law  which  singles 
the  teacher  out  as  one  fitted  to  instruct  children  and 
youth,  and  places  him  in  the  schoolroom  with  that 
power  to  command  and  to  to  compel  obedience,  which 
it  confers  upon  no  other  person  except  the  parent  or 
guardian.  To  this  extent  only,  and  because  the 
education  of  the  child,  in   which   the  state  has  a  vital 


School   Gov er?ime ?it  i6y 

interest,  cannot  proceed  without  it,  the  law  recog- 
nizes the  authority  of  the  teacher  as  equal  with  that  of 
the  parent  for  all  school  purposes. 

With  the  regular  routine  of  the  school  the  parent 
may  not  interfere.  The  daily  program,  the  length  of 
recitations,  the  methods  of  instruction 
adopted,  the  general  order  are  to  be  such  ^^^  parent, 
as  accord  with  the  best  judgment  of  the 
teacher.  This  must  of  necessity  be  so  inasmuch  as  it 
would  be  impossible  to  consult  the  wishes  and  opinions 
of  every  parent  in  the  district. 

If  lessons  are  unreasonable  in  length,  if  rules  and 
restrictions  are  such  as  to  impose  unnecessary  restraint 
upon  the  child,  if  punishments  are  too  severe,  the 
parents  have  their  remedy  through  an  appeal  to  the 
school  authorities  of  the  district  or  city.  If  they  wish 
to  advise  with  the  teacher  they  should  be  met  half- 
way and  listened  to  with  respect. 

The  law  does  not  suppose  that  the  parent  surren- 
ders to  the  teacher  all  right  to  direct  the  education 
of  the  child,  or  that  he  loses  his  interest  in  the  child's 
progress  and  welfare  when  he  sends  him  to  school. 
Only  he  may  not  dictate  to  the  teacher  or  compel  him 
to  act  contrary  to  his  own  reason  and  judgment. 
Neither  may  he  intrude  his  complaints,  or  interrupt 
the  daily  exercises  of  the  schoolroom,  although  he 
should  always  be  a  welcome  visitor. 

The  best  results  are  obtained  when  the  authority 
of  the  school  and  the  home  supplement  each  other 
and  work  along  the  same  lines  in  exacting  obedience 
to,  and  compliance  with,  reasonable  rules.  This  is  the 
point  at  which  some  teachers  fail  in  school  govern- 
ment. When  once  you  gain  the  confidence  of  the 
people  of  your  district  in  your  manner  of  exercising 


i68  Common   Se?ise  Didactics 

authority  you  have  gained  everything,  when  you  lose 
it  you  have  lost  everything.     (See  page  ii.) 

Do  not  then  parade  your  authority  continually  before 

the  school  or  the  public.     Rather  keep  it  in  reserve 

as  something  to  be  appealed  to  only  when 

th^^t  occasion  requires  it.  Its  exercise  should  be 
for  the  good  of  the  individual,  sometimes 
for  the  good  of  the  school  as  a  whole;  never  for  the 
gratification  of  the  teacher.  This  from  Bain's  Science 
of  Education  is  exactly  to  the  point:  "It  is  understood 
that  authority  with  all  its  appurtenances  exists  for  the 
benefit  of  the  governed,  and  not  as  a  perquisite  of  the 
governor." 

There  must  be  some  source  of  authority  in  every 
school  as  there  is  in  every  community.  But  authority 
maintained  by  means  of  fear  is  heartless  if  not  cruel, 
and  falls  short  of  its  high  purpose.  Punishment  may 
at  times  be  necessary,  but  to  resort  to  it  frequently 
weakens  the  government  of  the  school. 

The  result  of  authority,  however,  must  be  obedi- 
ence, and  obedience  must  be  prompt,  cheerful  and 
hearty.  Obedience  which  is  compulsory  is  better  than 
disobedience,  but  that  obedience  to  rules  and  regula- 
tions which  comes  from  a  sense  of  right  and  a  desire 
to  do  right  is  the  kind  which  we  should  seek  to  develop 
in  the  child. 

Idlenesses  the  prolific  source  of  disorder.  Good 
government  in  the  school  is  based  upon  this  truth. 
Give  the  child  constant  employment,  awaken  his  inter- 
est in  his  books,  stimulate  his  ambition  to  learn  and  to 
do  and  he  seldom  if  ever  is  a  source  of  disturbance. 

A  quiet,  unobtrusive  and  persistent  exercise  of 
authority  should  be  marked  by  the  following  charac- 
teristics: 


School  Governme7it  i6g 

(1)  Firmness  without  obstinacy.  We  are  often 
told,  very  truly,  that  the  teacher  should  not  be  strict 
one  day  and  lenient  the  next,  that  the  law  character- 
should  know  no  holidays,  but  should  be  «J//'<^-5"  of 
imposed  at  all  times  alike.  Nevertheless  ^^  ^^ ■^' 
the  wise  teacher  knows  when  discipline  may  be 
relaxed  a  little,  when  some  indulgences  may  be 
granted,  when  authority  may  smooth  its  wrinkled  brow 
and  lay  off  the  austere  garb  with  which  the  law  has 
clothed  it. 

(2)  Impartiality,  yet  regard  to  the  personality 
of  each  child.  What  is  a  severe  reprimand  to  one 
child  is  not  adequate  to  correct  the  same  fault  in 
another.  What  is  a  reasonable  punishment  for  a  fault 
in  one  child  may  be  altogether  too  severe  for  the  same 
fault  in  another. 

The  impartiality  must  consist  in  the  motive  which 
prompts  the  teacher.  It  is  a  difficult  thing  to  make 
pupils  understand  why  you  discriminate  in  the  treat- 
ment of  different  children.  This  led,  in  the  old  time 
school,  to  the  custom  of  reading  upon  the  opening 
day  a  set  of  rules  intended  to  cover  all  cases  and  affix- 
ing to  each  a  definite  punishment.  Thus,  as  a  result, 
the  teacher  often  found  himself  perplexed  as  to  what 
to  do,  and  sometimes,  in  order  to  be  consistent,  pun- 
ished when  it  did  more  harm  than  good. 

Do  not  make  many  rules  until  you  find  them  neces- 
sary. The  absence  of  rules  is  not  the  absence  of  law. 
Your  wish  should  be  regarded  by  your  pupils  as  law 
to  them  for  the  time  being. 

It  is  sometimes  best  to  say,  "I  think  I  shall  have 
to  forbid  that  hereafter,"  but  in  such  cases  the  children 
can  easily  be  made  to  see  the  reason  of  your  action. 
When  you  find  it  requisite  to  take  such  a  step  be  def- 


lyo  Common   Sense  Didactics 

inite  in  your  requirements.  The  children  in  a  certain  vil- 
lage school  were  accustomed  during  the  winter  term  to 
spend  the  recess  in  coasting  down  two  successive  hills. 
The  teacher  said  to  them  one  day  when  they  were  late 
in  coming  in  from  recess,  "After  this  please  confine 
your  sliding  to  one  hill."  They  were  late  again  at 
the  next  recess,  and  when  asked  for  the  reason 
answered,  "You  didn*t  say  which  hill,  and  so  we  chose 
the  one  down  by  the  store  because  that  is  the  longest." 
(3)  To  be  just  to  each  and  every  one  requires  much 
thought  and  consideration  on  .the  part  of  the  teacher. 

You  will  be  confronted  at  times  by  these 
•^  '         two  questions:     What  is  best  for  this  child, 

and  what  is  best  considering  its  effect  upon  the  entire 
school?  You  will  frequently  find  that  you  cannot 
decide  one  of  these  questions  independently  of  the 
other.  Exact  and  even-handed  justice  in  dealing  with 
children  must  always  be  tempered  with  sympathy  and 
mercy.  A  fault  repented  of  should  be  forgotten,  and 
every  attempt  to  do  better  should  be  encouraged.  To 
lend  a  helping  hand  or  to  speak  an  encouraging  word 
to  the  erring  child  is  often  an  act  of  the  highest  justice. 
And  here  let  me  add  one  other  thought.  Praise 
and  censure  should  be  bestowed  with  regard  to  justice. 

It  is  not  what  the  pupil  has  accomplished 
censure.         ^^^^  deserves  praise,  but  what  he  has  tried 

to  accomplish.  Not  what  he  has  failed  to 
do,  but  what  he  has  neglected  to  attempt  deserves 
censure.  Effort,  not  success,  should  determine  the 
measure  of  reward. 

The  teacher  who  is  not  alive  to  this  point  is  in 
danger  of  committing  some  grievous  mistakes.  "Who- 
soever offendeth  one  of  these  little  ones"  is  in  danger 
of  punishment.     Scan  closely  the  motives  which  seem 


School    Gov ernmeiit  lyi 

to  prompt  the  child  who  fails  to  meet  your  require- 
ments. Are  you  careful  to  hold  up  the  best  motives 
before  the  children?  Fear  of  punishment  is  no  worse 
as  a  motive  than  undue  love  of  self.  Sometimes  a 
whipping  works  less  injury  than  flattering,  coaxing  or 
undeserved  praise.  The  pleasure  which  comes  from 
well  doing  and  the  approval  of  conscience  are  the 
highest  motives  and  should  be  constantly  in  the  mind 
of  the  pupil.  How  can  I  cultivate  these  two  germs  so 
that  they  may  become  permanent  factors  in  life?  This 
is  the  great  question  which  confronts  the  teacher  in 
school  government. 

Cheerful  obedience,  respect  for  law  and  order,  a 
hearty  acquiescence  in  whatever  is  for  the  good  of  the 
entire  number,  are  characteristics  of  a  school  which  is 
well  governed.  The  healthy  atmosphere  in  which  the 
children  delight  to  dwell  is  not  the  product  of  brute 
force,  but  rather  of  the  "combined  reign  of  mercy, 
love  and  justice."  There  must  be  subjection  on  the 
part  of  pupils  to  the  teacher's  authority  —  authority 
which  must  never  be  questioned.  This  lays  the  foun- 
dation for  subjection  to  law  in  after  life.  But  author- 
ity must  commend  itself  to  the  children  as  reasonable, 
and  having  no  other  end  than  their  good. 

Authority,  if  rightly  understood,  requires  that  justice 
should  be  based  upon  reason.  There  is  no  room  for 
impulse  or  passion.  Do  not  be  in  haste  to  „ 
threaten  punishment  or  to  promise  favors.  thefoun- 
Let  conditions  and  circumstances  decide  dation. 
what  is  best  when  the  time  for  action  is  at  hand.  Jus- 
tice exacts  that  you  keep  yourself  free  to  do  as  your 
judgment  prompts  you.  Justice  exacts  also  that  you 
make  a  plain  distinction  between  a  fault  and  a  moral 
offense. 


iy2  Co?nmo?i    Sefise    Didactics 

I  have  seen  schools  in  which  a  tardy  mark  or  a  case 
of  absence  called  forth  more  severe  reprimand  than  a 
lie  or  an  oath.  The  scholar  who  came  in  late  had  the 
finger  of  scorn  pointed  at  him  by  his  mates,  but  the 
one  who  told  a  lie  and  was  corrected  for  it  was  pitied, 
not  because  he  told  the  lie  but  because  he  was  detected 
and  punished.  The  unthinking  teacher  has  committed 
many  crimes  in  the  name  of  justice. 

Children  have  a  very  keen  sense  of  justice.  Their 
hearts  have  not  been  hardened  by  contact  with  the 
rough  world.  When  right  intentions  are  met  by  a 
rude  rebuff,  and  little  misdeeds  which  have  no  evil 
purpose  are  magnified  into  crimes  and  punished  as 
such,  the  child  loses  confidence  not  only  in  the  justice 
of  his  teacher,  but  what  is  worse,  in  his  own  ability  to 
do  better.  "I  have  tried  my  best  to  please  her  to-day, 
and  I  won't  try  any  more,"  was  the  report  made  to  her 
mother  by  a  little  girl  who  came  home  from  her  school 
one  night  in  disgrace.  An  encouraging  word,  an 
approving  smile,  would  have  given  her  an  uplift  when 
she  needed  it  most. 

A  school  journal  of  recent  date  in  an  editorial  says 
that  "thou  shalt"  and  "thou  shalt  not"  never  made 
Necessity  either  children  or  men  better;  that  on  the 
of  taw  and  contrary,  it  has  made  multitudes  of  them 
I  ri  y.  ^Qj-g^.  Then  why  did  God  put  these  words 
in  the  decalogue?  We  say  reverently:  "Is  it  pos- 
sible that  He  did  not  have  the  light  of  some  of  our 
modern  philosophers,  and  hence  did  not  realize  when 
He  wrote  on  the  tablets  of  stone  'thou  shalt'  and 
'thou  shalt  not,'  that  He  was  thereby  making  multi- 
tudes of  men  worse?"  Sincerely  we  believe  that  our 
American  schools  are  receiving  a  great  detriment  by 
this  kind  of  talk  among  teachers. 


School    Gov ernmc 7it  lyj 

We  may  philosophize  in  a  fine  way  about  making 
the  child  independent,  free,  self-governing,  but  we 
cannot  lift  him  above  the  restraints  of  law  and 
authority.  Is  that  a  poor  kind  of  school  or  family 
government  which  does  not  do  more  than  this  for  the 
child?  We  cannot  banish  desire  or  remove  tempta- 
tion. It  is  a  most  excellent  government  which,  as  a 
result,  brings  the  child  up  to  that  point  where  he  has 
a  hearty  respect  for  authority,  human  and  divine.  We 
are  told  that  authority  is  only  an  expedient,  a  means 
to  an  end.  But  authority  rests  upon  law,  and  back  of 
law  is  power. 

A  fundamental  principle  of  all  government,  and  nec- 
essary to  its  existence,  holds  that  there  is  somewhere 
a  source  from  which  emanates  the  ability  and  the  right 
to  reward  good  and  punish  evil.  This  principle  must 
be  recognized  in  the  child's  education.  The  will,  that 
faculty  through  which  freedom  of  choice  is  exercised, 
should  be  persistently  strengthened  and  cultivated. 
But  the  moment  we  free  the  child  or  the  man  from 
all  fear  of  consequences,  from  those  considerations  of 
duty  which  rest  upon  "must"  and  "ought,"  upon 
"shall"  and  "shall  not,"  we  leave  him  to  become  a 
prey  to  his  evil  passions. 

Confidence    in    the    integrity    and    intention   of   the 

pupil  is  not  inconsistent  with   the  proper  exercise  of 

authority.     No  teacher  ever  exercised  his 

,,       .,  ,  .  ,      Confidence 

authority  when  necessary  more  vigorously  not  incon- 

than    Dr.    Arnold,    the  famous    master    of  sistent  with 
-P>      1  J         ,  authority. 

Rugby,  and   yet   no   man   was   ever   more  ^ 

heartily  respected  and   loved  by  his  pupils  than  he. 

Never  say  to  a  child,  "I   have  no  confidence  in  you," 

unless  you  desire  to  lose  your  influence  over  him.  The 

day  the  child  discovers  that  you  consider  him  a  liar, 


iy4  Co7n?non    Se?ise    Didactics 

or  a  thief,  or  the  author  of  all  the  mischief  in  the 
school — in  a  word,  when  he  discovers  that  he  is  under 
suspicion  at  all  times  and  on  all  occasions — the  sooner 
he  is  out  of  school  the  better.  It  is  a  question  whether 
he  is  not  receiving  from  the  teacher  more  injury  than 
his  own  presence  can  inflict  upon  the  school.  I  have 
seen  such  instances  'many  times,  and  my  heart  has 
gone  out  in  pity  to  the  child  because  the  teacher  in 
his  wrath  and  vexation  left  him  no  place  for  repent- 
ance. 

The  only  other  element  to  be  considered  in  this 
connection  is  prevention.  The  evil  habits  which  some- 
times defy  all  authority  are  of  slow  but 
Preven-  continuous  growth.  They  creep  in  unno- 
ticed and  make  their  presence  known  at 
most  unexpected  times.  There  is  always  room  in  the 
government  of  the  school  for  "the  ounce  of  preven- 
tion." It  is  a  competent  reason  to  assign  for  any 
course:  "I  am  fearful  my  pupils  may  acquire  bad 
habits  and  I  am  anxious  if  possible  to  prevent  it." 
Here  is  an  opportunity  for  the  rightful  exercise  of 
your  authority.  To  form  is  far  easier  than  to  reform, 
but  it  requires  much  thought  and  study  on  the  part  of 
the  teacher. 

Be  sure  that  your  eyes  are  always  open  to  see,  and 
your  ears  to  hear;  that  your  senses  are  on  the  alert  so 
that  you  may  forestall  the  evil  and  prevent  it  before  it 
obtains  a  lodgment  in  your  school.  Richmond,  in  his 
late  book.  The  Mind  of  a  Child,  says:  "There  is  no 
easier  method  of  education  than  that  practiced  by  so 
many  educators  of  the  young,  the  method  of  letting  a 
tendency  develop  into  a  fault  and  then  punishing  the 
fault;  this  is  far  more  comfortable  to  ourselves  than 
taking  the  trouble  to  turn  and  train  the  tendency  in 


School    Gov  em  me  71 1  ij^ 

its  earliest  stages.  Punishment  is  an  easy  form  of 
discipline,  and  we  punish  recklessly,  bolstering  up  our 
consciences  with  the  reflection  that  the  fault  must 
be  eradicated,  never  stopping  for  one  moment  to 
inquire  who  is  to  blame  for  the  fact  that  the  fault  has 
developed  in  the  child  at  all." 

The  discipline  of  the  school  falls  naturally  under 
two  heads:     arra?igcmc?it  ^.nd  niaiiagefneiit. 

The  natural  and  efficient  arrangement  of  the  exer- 
cises of  the  school  is  the  key  to  government  and  dis- 
cipline. It  should  be  as  simple  and  with  as 
little  machinery  in  sight  as  possible.  Rules  Arrange- 
and  regulations  should  be  made  as  occasion 
requires,  and  then  only  such  as  are  necessary  for  the 
good  of  the  school. 

The  following  are  the  characteristics  of  skillful 
arrangement:  It  should  be  simple,  definite,  syste- 
matic, practical. 

Under  this  head  we  name  methods  of  seating  the 
pupils,  of  calling  and  dismissing  classes,  the  details 
of  the  daily  program,  etc.  The  latter — the  daily  pro- 
gram of  work  and  study — must  be  carefully  planned. 
For  the  first  week  make  it  provisional,  and  then  change 
it  as  circumstances  seem  to  require.  Do  not  make 
many  changes  during  the  term,  but  occasions  will  arise 
when  it  may  seem  best  to  the  teacher  to  change  its 
order  for  a  time  or  to  remodel  it  altogether.  The  pro- 
gram should  always  be  elastic  rather  than  too  rigid. 

In  making  the  program  a  few  general  principles 
should  be  observed,  (i)  Regard  should  be  had  to  the 
number  of  pupils,  advancement,  etc.  (2)  Care  should  be 
taken  in  assigning  the  number  of  minutes  to  be  given 
to  a  class.  (3)  It  may  be  possible  to  alternate  some 
recitations;  thus,  history  maybe  alternated  with  geog- 


ij6  Common    Se?ise    Didactics 

raphy  so  as  to  give  each  subject  five  recitations  in  two 
weeks.  (4)  It  is  advisable  whenever  possible  that  a  study- 
period  should  follow  recitation.  (5)  In  arranging  the 
program  due  regard  should  be  had  to  the  age  of  pupils. 
The  recitation  periods  should  be  shorter  in  the  primary 
than  in  the  grammar  rooms;  in  a  mixed  school  they 
should  be  shorter  for  the  younger  children  than  for  the 
older.  (See  page  82.) 

To  be  successful,  management  must  be  prompt,  firm» 
earnest,  impartial,  genial,  quiet. 

The  management  of  the  school  requires  both  tact 
and  skill  on  the  part  of  the  teacher.  Tact,  especially 
Manage-  ^"  dealing  with  parents  and  pupils,  involves 
ment.  a  large  amount  of  common  sense.     Parents 

do  not  always  see  the  faults  of  their  children  as  you 
see  them.  Yet  it  is  necessary  to  have  the  confidence 
and  good  will  of  parents  if  you  expect  to  preserve  the 
highest  discipline  in  the  school. 

The  management  should  also  be  firm  and  unvarying. 
There  must  be  the  same  spirit  and  the  same  require- 
ments every  day  of  the  term.  That  which  is  treated 
as  an  offense  to-day  must  be  an  offense  if  committed 
to-morrow. 

Most  teachers  fail  in  these  two  points.  They  are  the 
key  to  good  government.  Some  one  says:  "School 
government  consists  in  putting  things  in  order  and  in 
keeping  them  in  order."  The  first  is  arrangement, 
the  second  is  management. 

Under  the  head  of  influence  I  wish  to  consider  those 

things  which  aid  the  teacher  in  maintaining  order  and 

discipline  with  little,  if  any,  show  of  author- 

Influence.       j^^    ^j^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^j^^^^  j^  ^j^^  public  opinion  of 

the  school.     Some  one  once  asked  John  D.  Philbrick, 
"How  do  you  manage  these  boys  so   easily?    There 


School    Gov  eminent  ly/ 

seems  to  be  perfect  order  and  yet  little  restraint." 
The  answer  was  very  brief,  "By  public  opinion."  In 
further  explanation  he  added,  "It  is  disreputable  in 
this  school  for  a  boy  to  be  disorderly  or  disobedient, 
and  when  one  tries  it  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  pun- 
ish him.  His  mates  attend  to  that;  he  can  have  no 
standing  among  them  until  he  makes  amends  for  his 
wrongdoing." 

A  careful  observance  of  the  points  already  suggested 
in  this  lesson  will  naturally  create  among  the  pupils 
a  public  opinion  on  the  side  of  good  government. 
When  that  is  the  case  then  the  teacher  is  left  free  to 
devote  all  his  energy  and  strength  to  the  duties  of 
instruction. 

Foster  throughout  the  school  a  healthy  pride  not 
simply  in  the  school  proper  but  in  all  things  per- 
taining to  it  and  to  its  reputation  in  the  com- 
munity. 

Again,  there  is  something  in  the  doctrine  of  sugges- 
tion. In  every  school  there  are  certain  children  who 
have  not  a  strong  bias  towards  what  is  Sugges- 
right.  Their  inclinations  are  not  positively  t^oi^- 
evil;  neither  are  they  positively  good.  A  suggestion 
which  betrays  a  want  of  confidence  on  the  part  of  the 
teacher,  a  suspicious  look,  an  unkind  word,  or  a  bit  of 
sarcasm  will  sometimes  be  sufficient  to  array  the 
childish  nature  in  open  hostility  to  the  teacher. 

The  same  is  true  of  those  suggestions  which  are 
calculated  to  arouse  and  stimulate  the  better  impulses 
and  emotions  of  the  child.  The  aesthetical  can  be 
made  to  reenforce  the  ethical.  Pictures  on  the  walls, 
attire,  cleanliness  of  person  are  very  powerful  aids 
through  the  suggestions  which  they  create. 

A  clergyman  entering  the  home  of  a  friend  found 

12 


ij8  Commo?i    Se?ise    Didactics 

the  mother  greatly  depressed.  He  asked  the  reason 
and  she  said,  "You  know  that  my  oldest  son  perished 
at  sea;  my  second  boy  is  on  his  first  voyage,  and  now 
my  youngest  has  just  informed  me  that  he  hopes  to 
be  a  sailor.  I  cannot  understand  it."  On  the  walls 
-of  the  room  there  hung  the  picture  of  a  beautiful  ship, 
with  all  sails  spread,  under  sunny  skies,  making  its  way 
through  the  foaming  seas.  "There,"  said  the  minister, 
pointing  to  the  ship,  "is  the  cause  of  your  troubles." 

The  degree  of  interest  which  the  teacher  manifests 
in  everything  which  concerns  the  happiness  of  the 
pupils,  as  children  count  happiness,  affects  the  con- 
duct of  the  pupils.  "As  long  as  we  get  our  lessons  and 
don't  whisper,"  is  the  standard  of  right  in  the  minds 
of  many  pupils.  "They  get  their  lessons  fairly  well 
and  don't  make  me  much  trouble,"  constitutes  the 
object  of  government  and  discipline  as  viewed  by  too 
many  teachers.  In  the  pupil's  conduct  in  school  can 
be  seen  as  in  a  mirror  his  conduct  out  of  school.  He 
is  actuated  by  the  same  impulses,  the  same  motives, 
the  same  feeling  in  one  case  as  in  the  other.  In  order 
to  know  the  whole  boy  follow  him  on  the  playground, 
notice  his  conduct  on  the  village  common,  at  his 
games,  in  his  own  dooryard,  his  attitude  toward  his 
mates  on  the. way  to  and  from  school;  in  a  word,  if 
you  wish  to  govern  the  whole  boy  you  must  study  him 
under  all  the  conditions  of  boy  life. 

Certain  points  are  worthy  of  careful  consideration. 

(a)  The  strictest  impartiality  should  be  observed  in 
p  .  .  dealing  with  pupils.  Every  child  has  a 
worth  con-  right  to  the  best  which  the  school  affords  in 
sidering.        government     as    well    as    in     instruction. 

(b)  Scolding,  nagging,  faultfinding,  ridicule  are  not 
proper  means  to  be  used  in  governing  the  school.     A 


School    Gov  er?ime?it  lyg 

serious  talk  with  individuals,  or  to  the  whole  school,  is 
legitimate,  but  there  should  be  no  element  of  cen- 
soriousness  in  it.  The  tongue  is  sharper  than  the 
switch.  Whipping  is  the  refuge  of  weak  teachers,  but 
scolding  or  tongue-lashing  or  ridicule  is  more  cruel, 
and  cannot  be  justified  by  any  reasons  whatever. 
(c)  The  entire  school  should  never  be  punished  for 
the  faults  of  a  few.  To  deprive  the  room  of  the 
recess,  or  to  detain  every  one  after  school  because  of 
the  restlessness  of  some  is  never  wise.  .  If  you  are  not 
sharp  enough  to  single  out  the  culprits  let  it  go  with 
as  little  notice  as  possible.  Do  not  encourage  tattling 
or  tale-bearing.  Never  question  the  child  about  the 
conduct  of  his  mates.  There  are  occasions  on  which  the 
children  may  give  evidence,  but  it  is  a  point  which 
requires  great  caution,  (d)  Praise,  not  flattery,  is  an 
essential  element.  Look  for  the  good  that  is  in  even 
the  bad  boy,  and  encourage  him  to  perseverance  in 
welldoing. 

This  chapter  cannot  be  considered  complete  without 
some  reference  to  rewards  and  punishments.  Suspen- 
sion or  expulsion  from  school  is  to  put  the  j^  ^  . 
boy  to  the  worst  possible  use.  It  is  a  con-  and pun- 
fession  of  failure  on  the  part  of  the  teacher,  tshments. 
and  turns  the  boy  into  a  hero  in  the  eyes  of  his  fel- 
lows. If  you  can  make  his  parents  see  that  the  school 
is  doing  him  no  good,  and  that  he  would  be  better  off 
at  work  learning  a  trade,  or  on  a  farm — that  may  be 
the  right  thing  to  do,  but  not  a  disgraceful  severance 
of  his  relations  with  the  school  if  it  can  be  avoided. 

To  strike  a  child  is  another  confession  of  weakness. 
I  do  not  say  it  should  never  be  done,  for  on  the  con- 
trary, it  is  at  times  the  only  recourse.  Read  in  the 
quotations  at  the  end  of  this  chapter  what   Page  and 


i8o  Common    Sense    Didactics 

Wickersham  have  said  on  this  subject.  I  commend 
their  words  to  you  as  full  of  wisdom.  Do  not  make 
up  your  mind  that  you  will  never  whip  a  child.  Wait 
and  decide  that  question  when  you  are  brought  face  to 
face  with  it.  You  may  never  have  to  pass  upon  it. 
Read  what  Quick  says  about  training  children.  There 
is  rnuch  wisdom  in  his  words:  "Yesterday  I  was 
talking  with  a  very  skillful  dog  trainer.  He  often 
buys  a  dog  for  $i  and  after  a  fortnight's  training  sells 
it  for  $1^.  I  asked  him  how  he  did  it.  'Well,  sir,  it 
takes  a  deal  of  patience.  You  must  never  get  vexed 
with  a  dog.  I've  known  a  lot  of  dogs  spoilt  through 
a  man  losing  patience  with  them  and  giving  them  the 
whip  at  the  wrong  time.'  "     (See  page  70.) 

Fretting  at  the  pupil,  complaining  of  him  every 
time  you  meet  his  father  or  mother,  talking  about  him 
to  other  pupils,  mocking  some  defect,  ridicu- 
?netho§s.  ^^"g  some  peculiarity,  these  you  will  avoid  at 
all  times.  A  young  lady,  herself  a  teacher, 
came  to  me  in  tears,  saying,  "We  cannot  prevail  on 
my  brother  to  go  to  school  any  longer,  and  he  is  v^ery 
deficient  in  the  common  branches."  Upon  inquiring 
as  to  the  reason  she  said,  "He  stutters  and  stammers 
over  some  words,  or  when  he  is  excited.  His  last 
teacher  made  fun  of  him  by  trying  to  read  like  him. 
The  children  laughed  at  him,  and  now  he  can  neither 
be  hired  nor  driven  to  go  again."  It  is  the  old  story 
repeated  of  the  thoughtless,  not  to  say  cruel,  teacher 
who  destroys  much  good. 

If  you  have  Page's  Theory  and  Practice  of  Teaching 
read  the  chapters  on  school  go\ernment.  I  advise  you 
not  to  use  prizes  in  your  school.  At  the  very  best  their 
benefit  is  limited,  not  to  say  questionable.  They 
are  apt  to  arouse  pride  in  the  breast  of  the  winner  and 


School    Gover?ime?it  i8i 

disappointment  and  envy  in  those  who  fail.  It  is  not 
always  the  most  deserving  who  obtain  them.  The 
effect  of  the  prize  upon  the  entire  school  is  generally 
bad.     I  would  not  attempt  it. 

Of  praise  I  wish  to  say  this:  Used  at  all  times  and 
lavishly  it  soon  loses  its  power.  Praise  bestowed  for 
real  merit  for  overcoming  difficulties  or  temptation 
should  not  be  withheld.  A  smile,  an  encouraging 
word,  shows  the  child  that  his  efforts  are  appreciated, 
and  stimulates  him  to  persevere.  To  praise  a  child 
for  doing  well  is  sometimes  the  best  way  of  bringing 
his  mind  to  see  what  you  want  him  to  do. 

Teach  the  child  to  question  his  own  conscience.  Is 
this  right  or  wrong?  Is  my  conduct  at  all  times  such 
as  my  ideal  man  would  require  it  to  be?  Then  let  him 
answer  the  question  for  himself,  but  always 

In  the  King's  Name. 

Quotations  Worth  Reading 

government. 

Discipline  is  not  the  art  of  rewarding  and  punishing,  of  making 
pupils  speak  and  be  silent.  It  is  the  art  of  making  them  perform 
in  the  most  appropriate,  easy  and  useful  manner  all  the  duties  of 
the  school. 

— Selected. 

The  want  of  order  is  the  great  master  defect  of  nearly  all 
schools.  I  know  of  no  one  thing  which  so  powerfully  counteracts 
the  exertions  of  teachers  as  the  want  of  good  discipline. 

—  Teachings  Its  Pleasures,  lis  Trials. 

Children  must  be  governed,  not  coaxed.  Control  within  proper 
limits  is  natural  and  wholesome  for  them.  No  amount  of  implor- 
ing them  to  do  right  will  ever  accomplish  the  purpose,  and  it  very 
easily  becomes  positively  harmful.  On  the  other  hand  restraint 
must  not  be  carried  too  far ;  we  must  remember  that  it  is  not  the 
course  which  is  the  easiest  for  ourselves,  but  that  which  is  most 
beneficial  to  the  child  which  is  to  be  followed.  Mere  quiet  is  not 
good  order. 

—Joseph  Landon. 


i82  ComTfton    Se7ise    Didactics 

"Order  is  heaven's  first  law,"  and  it  is  scarcely  more  essential 
to  the  harmony  of  heaven  than  it  is  to  the  happiness  and  success 
of  the  school. 

—David  p.  Page. 
A  UTHORITY. 

In  the  next  place  there  must  be  a  standard  of  order,  and  this 
must  be  backed  by  authority ;  for,  of  what  avail  are  law  or  regula- 
tions without  the  ability  to  enforce  their  claims  in  case  of  any 
resistance  or  disobedience? 

—John  Ogden. 

Discipline,  therefore,  in  the  formation  of  character  extends  its 
sphere  of  activity  even  into  the  setting  forth  of  a  lesson  and  into 
all  the  details  of  instruction.  In  teaching  well  or  ill  we  encourage 
the  formation  of  good  habits  or  we  check  them;  we  make  the 
formation  of  bad  habits  more  difficult  or  we  make  them  inevitable. 
And  by  habits  we  must  mean  habits  both  moral  and  intellectual, 
for  the  two  are  inextricably  associated. 

—P.  A.  Barnett. 

A  disciple  is  one  who  follows ;  a  disciplinarian  should  be  one 
who  leads,  not  one  who  compels — and  the  man  who  can  lead 
children  truly  is  the  man  who  possesses  those  qualities  of  mind 
which  mark  him  out  as  superior  to  the  "common  herd,"  and  a 
superior  mind  will  always  find  a  following,  will  always  find  other 
minds  able  and  anxious  to  be  led. 

— Ennis  Richmond. 

A  languid  and  dilatory  yielding  to  repeated  commands  is  rank 
disobedience.  "Not  as  in  my  presence  only,  but  also  in  my 
absence,"  must  be  the  requirement,  and  nothing  short  of  this  is 
worthy  of  commendation. 

—  Teaching,  Its  Pleasures,  Its  7y ials. 

JUSTICE. 

It  is  wise  sometimes  not  only  to  withhold  the  expression  of 
suspicion,  but  to  give  some  token  of  your  confidence  to  the  pupil 
who  is  troublesome.  Intrust  him  with  some  errand  involving 
responsibility,  or  assign  to  him  some  duty  by  way  of  assistance  to 
yourself,  and  very  likely  you  will  gain  his  good  will  ever  after. 

—David  P.  Page. 

Patience,  diligence,  quiet  and  unfatigued  perseverance,  indus 
try,  regularity  and  economy  of  time,  as  these  are  the  dispositions 
I  would  labor  to  excite,  so  these  are  the  qualities  I  would  warmly 
commend. 

— Hannah  More. 

The  difiference  in  sensitiveness  between  children  is  very  great, 
and  when  many  are  brought  together  to  be  treated  as  a  school  it 
requires  the  greatest  care  and  judgment  to  regulate  the  incentives 
of  pain  and  adapt  them  to  these  differences  of  individual  character. 

—Francis  B.  Palmer. 


School    Go  V eminent  i8j 

In  all  our  schools  there  is  too  strong  a  tendency  to  hold  up  a. 
false  standard  of  success  before  the  pupils.  The  things  which 
make  for  true  manhood  and  true  womanhood,  which  will  con- 
tribute to  the  usefulness  of  the  individual  as  a  member  of  society,, 
are  lost  sight  of  in  the  fierce  ambition  to  obtain  the  mark  neces- 
sary for  promotion  to  the  next  higher  class. 

— Iowa  School  Report. 

PREVENTION. 

If  the  child  is  to  have  an  interval  of  leisure  let  it  be  in  the  play- 
room or  ground,  where  relaxation  is  permissible,  and  even  noise 
is  not  a  sin.  But  let  him  have  no  intervals  of  leisure  in  school. 
There,  and  in  school  time,  where  play  is  not)  permitted,  let  work, 
be  systematically  prescribed. 

— /.  G.  Fitch. 

I  never  yet  met  with  a  boy — and  thanks  be  to  God  I  have  taught 
many — who  would  be  rude  to  a  female  earnestly  and  kindly 
seeking  his  welfare  without  attempting  to  crush  that  indepen- 
dence of  spirit  which  is  man's  prerogative  and  which  no  woman 
has  a  right  to  crush. 

—Charlotte  Elizabeth. 
SUGGESTION. 

It's  all  very  well  to  say  that  a  teacher  should  always  have  a 
kind  manner,  but  at  times  when  one  feels  irritable  a  kind  manner 
seems  impossible,  or  at  best  a  piece  of  hypocrisy.  When  one  is 
not  in  the  best  of  spirits  there  is  some  difficulty  in  keeping  order 
without  a  repressive  manner.  By  custom  one  learns  to  avoid  any 
breaking  out  of  temper,  but  the  master  feels  an  undercurrent  of 
sulkiness  and  the  boys  know  this  better  than  he  does. 

—R.  H.  Quick. 

That  government  of  the  school  which  does  not  reach  the 
conduct  of  the  child  out  of  school  as  well  as  when  under  the 
immediate  eye  of  the  teacher,  is  defective  in  its  aim  and  in  its 

results. 

— David  P.  Page. 

REWARDS  AND  PUNISMENTS. 

The  true  way  and  the  safe  way,  in  my  opinion,  is  to  rely 
mainly  on  moral  means  for  the  government  of  the  school — to  use 
the  rod  without  much  threatening  if  driven  to  it  by  the  force  of  cir- 
cumstances, and  as  soon  as  authority  is  established  to  allow  it  to 
again  slumber  with  the  tacit  understanding  that  it  can  be  again 
awakened  from  its  repose  if  found  necessary.  The  knowledge  in 
the  school  that  there  is  an  arm  of  power,  may  prevent  any  neces- 
sity of  an  appeal  to  it,  and  such  a  knowledge  can  do  no  possible 
harm  in  itself.  But  if  the  teacher  has  once  pledged  himself  to  the 
school  that  he  will  never  use  the  rod  the  necessity  may  soon  come 
to  him  to  abandon  his  position  or  lose  his  influence  over  the 
pupils. 

— David  P.  Page. 


184  Commo7i    Sense    Didactic s 

And  yet  the  young  must  be  taught  to  obey — their  welfare,  their 
success  in  life,  the  well  being  of  society  depend  upon  it.  A  school 
cannot  be  suffered  to  run  riot.  Order,  obedience,  respect  for 
authority  are  lessons  much  needed  by  the  American  people  and 
must  be  taught  at  all  hazards  in  the  family  and  in  the  school.  If 
to  "spare  the  rod"  is  to  "spoil  the  child,"  the  rod  should  not  be 
spared.  Better  a  government  of  barbarism  than  no  government 
at  all. 

—J.  P.  IVickersham. 

Love  for  the  truth,  a  spirit  of  serviceableness,  respect  for 
sacred  things,  regard  for  the  rights  of  his  neighbor,  integrity  in 
dealing  with  his  fellows,  the  cultivation  of  the  conscience,  growth 
of  character  in  the  direction  of  obedience  to  the  precepts  of  divine 
law,  these  are  the  weightier  matters  which  the  true  teacher  keeps 
continually  before  her  pupils.  It  is  very  necessary  that  the  next 
generation  should  have  right  ideas  of  what  constitutes  success. 

— Iowa  School  Report 

Questions  for  Examination 

1.  Define  school  government. 

2.  What  is  it  to  govern  a  school  wisely? 

J.  Name  some  of  the  objects  of  school  government 

4.  When  are  the  best  results  obtained? 

J-.  Name  some  points  which  should  characterize  the  exercise 
of  authority. 

6.  What  is  said  of  praise  and  censure? 

7.  What  points  are  considered  under  the  head  of  influence? 

8.  What  IS  meant  by  the  doctrine  of  suggestion? 

9.  Why  are  not  prizes  to  be  commended  as  beneficial  in  their 

influence? 
10.  State  briefly  the  statements  in  reference  to  corporal  punish- 
ment by  Page  and  Wickersham  in  the  quotations. 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

7.  What  does  Holmes  mean  by  saying  we  must  be  as  courteous 
to  a  child  as  to  a  picture? 

2.  To  what  extent  can  you  dispense  with  rules  and  regulations 

in  school  government? 

3.  What  is  the  best  course  to  pursue  with  persistently  idle 

pupils? 

4.  What  do  you  think  of  Page's  axiom,   "The  minimum  of 

punishment  is  the  maximum  of  excellence?"     What  limi- 
tations has  it? 
J.  What  would  you  do  in  case  an  innocent  pupil  knows  who  is 
the  author  of  some  mischief  but  through  a  sense  of  honor 
refuses  to  disclose  his  name? 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  HYGIENE  OF  THE  SCHOOL 

To  Keep  the  World  from  Growing  Old 

Not  only  "lying  lips"  but  a  dyspeptic  stomach  is  an  abomination 
to  the  Lord. 

— Horace  Mann. 

Is  there  anything  better  in  a  State  than  that  both  women  and 
men  be  rendered  the  very  best?    There  is  not. 

—Plato. 

Nature's  disdpline  is  not  even  a  word  and  a  blow,  and  the  blow 
first ;  but  the  blow  without  the  word.  It  is  left  for  you  to  find  out 
why  your  ears  are  boxed. 

—Huxley. 

No  perfect  brain  ever  crowns  an  imperfectly  developed  body. 
When  Michael  Angelo  reared  St.  Peter's  dome  in  the  air  he  made 
every  stone  beneath  contribute  not  only  to  the  use  and  beauty  of 
the  part  he  put  it  in  but  to  the  support  and  power  of  the  dome. 

—Edward  H.  Clarke. 

WE  COME  in  this  chapter  to  the  consideration 
of  a  subject  of  very  grave  importance. 
Hygiene,  which  concerns  the  laws  of  healthful  being, 
is  at  the  foundation  of  human  happiness.  The  foun- 
To  be  well  and  capable  of  endurance,  to  be  dation  of 
strong,  whether  it  be  to  run  a  race  or  fight  h'^ppiness. 
a  battle,  to  possess  nerves  which  are  not 
easily  unstrung  and  muscles  which  through  proper 
exercise  have  become  hard  and  "firm  like  iron  bands" 
is  to  be  well  fitted  for  active  life.  Add  to  these  the 
clear  brain,  symmetrically  developed;  the  cunning, 
skillful  hand,  and  we  have  a  foundation  upon  which 
we  may  base  a  moral  nature  which  no  temptation  can 
swerve  from  the   path   of  rectitude,    and   an   intellect 

185 


i86  Common    Sense    Didactics 

which  can  devise  and  accomplish  great  things  for  the 
progress  of  mankind. 

There  is  no  question  but  that  too  little  attention  is 
paid  in  our  schools  to  those  details  which  minister 
directly  to  soundness  of  body.  Heat,  light,  ventilation, 
exercise,  posture  in  recitation  and  at  the  desks  are 
treated  only  as  incidental  matters,  inferior  in  impor- 
tance to  intellectual  advancement  and  mental  acumen. 

It  is  impossible  for  the  mind  to  do  its  best  work 
when  it  inhabits  a  feeble,  diseased  body.  Blaikie,  in 
How  to  Get  Strongs  says:  "But  a  bright  and  uncommon 
head  on  a  broken-down,  or  nearly  broken-down,  body 
is  not  going  to  "make  half  as  effective  a  man  in  the 
life-race  as  a  little  duller  head  and  a  good  deal  better 
body."  More  than  this  the  body  must  be  surrounded 
by  right  conditions  if  in  effect  it  is  to  be  a  willing,. 
competent  servant  of  the  brain. 

While  the  teacher  is  not  entirely  responsible  for  the 
general  health  of  the  school,  yet  it  is  a  subject  to 
which  he  should  give  constant  and  close 
er'spart.'  attention.  To  a  certain  extent  the  pecul- 
iarities of  each  individual  pupil  should  be 
studied  with  reference  to  inherited  or  predisposed 
tendency  to  disease  of  any  kind;  bodily  defects  should 
be  carefully  noted  in  order  that  they  maybe  corrected, 
or  at  least  minimized  as  far  as  possible  under  the  cir- 
cumstances. In  fact  the  teacher  must  not  forget  that 
the  physical  growth  and  devel'opment  of  the  child  is 
the  foundation  of  intellectual  strength  and  moral 
stamina. 

John  Locke  wrote:  "How  necessary  health  is  to 
our  business  and  happiness,  and  how  requisite  a  strong 
constitution,  able  to  endure  hardship  and  fatigue,  is  to 
one   that  will   make  any  figure   in    the  world,  is    too 


The    Hygiene    of  the    School  i8y 

obvious  to  need  any  proof."  The  philosopher  was 
wise,  but  no  wiser  than  every  common-school  teacher 
ought  to  be.  He  merely  states  in  his  own  language 
what  common  sense  teaches  us  is  true.    (See  page  ii8.) 

The  following  points  are  placed  before  you  nearly 
in  the  order  of  their  importance: 

Very  few  schoolrooms  are    provided    with  artificial 
means  of  ventilation.     Even  in  those  in  which  some 
attempts    are    made    in    this    direction    the 
means   used   are   not   adequate  to  produce        ^^07t. 
the   desired   results.       In   the    majority   of 
cases  teachers  must  depend  upon   such   resources  as 
seem  most  ready  at  hand. 

But  few  teachers  realize  the  necessity  of  a  supply 
of  pure  air  in  the  schoolroom.  A  child  requires  about 
2,500  cubic  feet  of  air,  and  an  adult  about  4,000  cubic 
feet  per  hour.  There  should  be  at  least  30  square 
feet  of  floor  space,  and  350  cubic  feet  of  air  space  to 
each  pupil.  A  schoolroom  22x33  feet,  with  a  ceiling 
12  feet  high,  is  usually  seated  for  forty  pupils.  This 
gives  over  200  cubic  feet  of  space  to  each  person,  and 
when  windows  and  doors  are  closed  the  air  will  be 
vitiated,  or  rendered  unfit  for  breathing  in  less  than 
ten  minutes. 

Every  teacher  who  has  had  experience  knows  that 
by  the  time  school  has  been  in  session  fifteen  minutes 
the  air  becomes  heavy  and  loses  its  vitality.  This 
condition  increases  but  is  often  endured  until  time  for 
recess,  although  in  the  meantime  pupils  and  teacher 
become  drowsy  and  dull  and  the  lessons  drag. 

It  is  not  alone  the  process  of  breathing  which 
vitiates  the  atmosphere.  Many  of  the  children  are 
uncleanly  in  person,  and  wear  clothing  impregnated 
with  odors  of  the  kitchen  or  the  stable.     In  addition, 


i88  Common    Sense    Didactic s 

the  soft  coal  stove  consumes  its  share  of  the  oxygen 
and  gives  out  its  noisome  gases.  To  this  must  be 
added  the  chalk-dust  from  the  blackboards,  and  the 
dust  from  the  mud  and  dirt  which  accumulate  on  the 
floor.  At  times  the  visitor,  who  comes  from  the  clear 
atmosphere  outside,  finds  it  difficult  to  overcome  his 
repugnance  to  the  odors  which  greet  his  senses  when 
he  opens  the  door  to  enter  the  room. 

I  call  your  attention  to  these  things  in  order  to 
impress  upon  you  the  necessity  of  providing  some 
method  of  supplying  fresh  air  for  the  pupils.  How 
can  this  be  done?  In  the  first  place,  when  you  reach 
your  school  in  the  morning  throw  the  windows  and 
door  wide  open  for  a  few  moments.  Let  the  children 
find  the  air  sweet  and  fresh  when  they  enter.  Do  the 
same  when  all  the  pupils  have  left  the  school  at  night. 
Do  not  let  the  foul  air,  the  accumulation  of  the  last 
hours  of  the  afternoon,  remain  in  the  room  until  morn- 
ing. As  far  as  practicable,  without  exposing  the 
pupils,  do  the  same  thing  at  noon  and  at  recess.  Some 
one  once  said  of  a  teacher  by  way  of  criticism,  "She 
has  got  ventilation  on  the  brain."  I  wish  more  of 
our  teachers  were  afflicted  in  the  same  way. 

Sometimes  the  upper  sash   may  be  dropped  a  few 

inches  with  safety,  sometimes  not.     In  no  case  should 

^    the   children  be  exposed   to   a  draught  of 
Methods  of         ,,      .        ,.,       .^.  ^   ^v    •      i      i  t-i 

ventilation,    ^old  air  while  Sitting  at  their  desks.     The 

watchful  teacher  will  devise  other  ways  of 
modifying  an  evil  which  cannot  be  entirely  eradi- 
cated. For  instance,  raise  the  lower  sash  a  few  inches 
and  fit  a  board  closely  under  it.  The  opening  thus 
created  between  the  upper  and  the  lower  sash  forms 
a  fairly  good  ventilator.  , 

It  is  impossible  to  frame  a  scientific  treatise  upon 


The    Hygiene    of  the    School  i8g 

ventilation  in  this  chapter.  My  desire  is  to  call  the 
attention  of  those  who  may  read  this  book  to  the 
necessity  of  careful  observation  and  study  of  the  entire 
subject. 

K  as  a  teacher  you  are  really  in  earnest  and  desire 
to  have  some  means  of  ventilation  afforded  for  your 
schoolroom  ask  your  superintendent  or  director  or 
some  of  your  more  influential  patrons  to  read  this 
chapter.     You  need  their  cooperation. 

There  is  no  more  important  question  before  us 
to-day  than  the  ventilation  of  schoolrooms.  Under 
all  conditions  of  life  pure  air  is  an  absolute  necessity, 
but  when  thirty,  forty,  fifty,  or  even  sixty  children  are 
shut  up  in  a  schoolroom,  many  of  them  coming  from 
homes  where  the  bath-tub  is  a  luxury  unthought  of, 
where  often  the  garments  are  worn  day  and  night  and 
perhaps  are  unwashed  for  weeks,  only  the  most  com- 
plete forced  ventilation  can  keep  the  air  decently  pure. 

The  problem  is  intensified  when  we  remember  that 
to  the  impurities  arising  from  the  usual  causes  we 
must  add  those  from  catarrhal  breaths,  diseased 
stomachs,  decayed  teeth,  and  uncleanly  persons.  It 
is  a  very  liberal  allowance  to  say  that,  in  the  average 
school  of  forty  pupils  where  there  is  no  forced  ventila- 
tion, at  the  end  of  the  first  five  minutes  the  air  is  unfit 
to  sustain  vigorous  life.  Yet  in  all  my  experience  I 
have  found  comparatively  few  schoolrooms  in  the 
arrangement  of  which  the  supply  of  fresh  air  has  been 
taken  into  account.  This  is  as  true  in  the  city  as  it 
is  in  the  country. 

Supposing  that  in  order  to  convince  yourself  beyond 
all  cavil  that  my  statements  are  true  you  make  a  few 
observations;  take  an  account  of  stock,  as  it  were. 
Just  before  the  close  of  school  step  out  into  the  open 


igo  Common    Sense    Didactic s 

air,  but  be  careful  to  close  the  door  behind  you.  Fill 
your  lungs  with  the  pure  oxygen  of  out-doors,  inhaling 
and  exhaling  two  or  three  times;  then  step 
tration.  back  into  your  schoolroom.  Possibly  the  first 
breath  of  the  fetid  atmosphere  will  make 
you  sick  or  faint;  but  no  matter,  you  will  survive  it  as 
thousands  have  before  you. 

Spare  a  moment  to  consider  these  facts.  You  are 
dealing  with  a  matter  of  great  interest  to  all  concerned. 
You  are  not  a  chemist;  you  have  no  apparatus  for 
ascertaining  the  real  condition  of  the  air  in  the  room, 
but  this  is  a  test  which  is  reliable  and  which  any  one 
can  make. 

Here  you  have  a  room  23  feet  by  28  by  12,  heated 
by  a  vicious  soft  coal  stove,  and  absolutely  with  no 
means  of  ventilation  except  by  lowering  the  windows. 
This  you  hesitate  to  do  because  a  blast  of  cold  air 
slays  like  a  sword.  I  say  no  means  of  ventilation. 
Possibly  there  is  a  hole  in  the  ceiling  7  by  9  inches  in 
size,  or  one  of  the  same  dimensions  in  the  side  near 
the  chimney,  which  for  ventilating  purposes  is  of  no 
practical  use  whatever.  The  hot  air  furnace  is  equally 
vicious  unless  well  supplied  with  fresh  air  taken  from 
outside  the  building  and  warmed  before  it  reaches  the 
schoolroom.  In  this  case,  if  suitable  outlets  for  the 
escape  of  foul  air  are  provided,  the  furnace  becomes  a 
very  effective  method  of  heating  the  room.  In  this 
room  you  will  sometimes  have  thirty  to  fifty  pupils — 
two,  often  three,  at  one  desk.  If  you  happen  to  have 
a  thermometer  it  will  register  possibly  from  80  to  85 
degrees.  Read  carefully  in  the  quotations  the  extract 
from  the  report  of  W.  W.  Stetson,  of  Maine,  which 
treats  of  ventilation.  It  is  applicable  with  slight 
modifications  to  village  schools. 


Th e    Hy g  ieiie    of  the    School  igi 

The  cracks  in  the  walls  and  in  the  floor  are  filled 
with  the  accumulated  dirt  of  many  terms;  they  are  the 
best  possible  breeding  place  for  disease  germs,  bacteria, 
or  whatever  name  may  be  the  most  appropriate.  The 
floors  have  not  been  washed  for  weeks,  months, 
perhaps  years.  The  desks  and  seats  have  not  felt  hot 
water  since  they  were  screwed  into  their  places.  The 
walls  are  black  with  smoke  and  guiltless  of  white- 
wash.    If  this  is  not  true  in  all  cases  it  is  in  too  many. 

Pay  watchful  attention  to  the  heat  of  the  room. 
Your  own  sensations  are  not  a  sure  guide.  You  are 
well  fed  and  warmly  clothed;  many  of  your 
pupils  are  under-fed  and  thinly  clad.  You  of  heating. 
may  be  uncomfortably  warm,  while  some  of 
them  are  uncomfortably  chilly.  Watch  the  thermome^- 
ter.  If  the  mercury  is  below  68  degrees  the  room 
is  too  cold.  If  it  is  above  'J2  degrees  the  room  is  too 
warm  for  health  or  comfort.  If  your  room  is  warmed 
by  a  stove  maintain  as  steady  a  fire  as  possible.  See 
that  the  room  is  evenly  warmed  when  the  session 
opens,  and  in  ordinary  weather  you  will  not  find  much 
trouble  in  holding  the  temperature  about  70  degrees. 
Perhaps  the  teacher  will  say  that  one  person  cannot 
attend  to  all  these  things.  There  is  some  truth  in 
the  suggestion.  But  "to  keep  school"  is  just  as 
important  as  instruction  or  teaching.     ~ 

It  will  require  but  a  moment  to  convince  yourself 
that  some  parts  of  the  room  have  less  light  than  is 
needed  on  cloudy  days,  and  that  there  are 
no  shutters  or  curtains  to  shield  the  eyes  of  ^y^f  ^-^  ^^^ 
pupils  when  the  sun  is  bright;  that  some 
seats  and  desks  are  too  high,  and  others  too  low;  that 
blackboards  are  placed  between  the  windows  where 
the  light  is  as  bad  as  it  can   possibly  be,  and  that  the 


ig2  Common    Se?ise    Didactics 

general  arrangement  of  the  room  is  in  entire  disre- 
gard of  sanitary  laws. 

This  is  a  subject  which  calls  for  thoughtful  attention. 

In  many  buildings  the  blackboards  are  placed  without 

any  reference  to  the  light  as  it  strikes  them 

boards.  from  the  windows.     Much  of  our  teaching 

to-day  involves  the  use  of  the  board. 

Take  a  little  time  during  the  day  to  observe  what  is 
going  on  in  your  schoolroom.  Every  program  should 
provide  for  vacant  periods  in  order  that  the  teacher 
may  observe  and  act  intelligently. 

Go  across  the  room  and  sit  down  beside  that  group 
of  scholars.  They  are  endeavoring  to  make  out  their 
lessons  from  the  blackboard.  You  can  get  an  indis- 
tinct outline  of  the  writing,  and  that  is  all.  The 
pupils  are  squinting  their  eyes  and  twisting  their 
heads  and  straining  themselves  to  make  out  the  wri- 
ting, but  the  light  strikes  the  glazed,  shining  board  so 
as  to  give  them  the  greatest  possible  amount  of 
trouble.  The  time  is  near  when  some  of  those  chil- 
dren must  be  taken  to  an  oculist  to  have  glasses  fitted 
to  their  eyes  before  the  sight  is  permanently  injured. 
The  increasing  shortsightedness  is  due  very  largely  to 
the  defective  methods  of  admitting  light,  or  to  insuffi- 
cient quantity  in  certain  parts  of  the  room. 

Observe  these  two  points:  First,  the  lesson  should 
be  placed  where  it  can  be  easily  and  plainly  read  by 
the  entire  class  If  necessary,  duplicate  it  by  writing 
it  in  different  places.  If  this  cannot  be  done,  then  let 
part  of  the  class  move  temporarily  into  seats  from  which 
the  lesson  can  be  read  without  straining  the  eyes.  It 
is  very  possible  that  you  can  dispense  with  some  of  the 
blackboard  work,  with  profit  to  your  pupils. 

In  the  second  place,  the  hand  writing  of  the  teacher 


The    Hygiene    of  the    School  igj 

should  be  large,  the  letters  well  formed,  and  without 
any  flourishes.  I  am  fully  convinced  that  at  least'one- 
half  the  troubles  which  affect  the  eyes  of  school  chil- 
dren come  from  a  wrong  use  of  the  blackboard.  ^See 
the  quotation  from  Professor  Bergen  at  the  conclusion 
of  this  lesson. 

The  pupil  who  is  nearsighted  should  be  brought  for- 
ward nearer  his  work.  No  child  should  be  allowed  to 
study  with  the  sunlight  shining  into  his  face.  There 
is  sometimes  danger  from  too  much  light,  as  there  is 
from  too  little.  I  can  merely  touch  upon  this  subject, 
but  it  deserves  careful  consideration.  The  day  you 
observe  that  the  child  has  any  difficulty  with  his  eyes, 
you  should  inform  the  parents,  that  the  necessary 
steps  may  be  taken  to  apply  the  correct  remedy. 

Do  not  require  pupils  to  study  the  fine  pri?it  i?i  the  text- 
book, except  tmder  the  best  conditions  as  to  light. 

There  is  an  increasing  tendency  on  the  part  of  school 
boards  to  consult  teachers  whenever  a  change  of  books 
is  contemplated.     In  such  cases  the  follow- 
ing points  should  be  taken  into  careful  con-  text-book. 
sideration:     In  choosing  text-books,  those 
having  the  least  fine  print,  other  things  being  equal, 
are  to  be  preferred.     It  is   said,    by  those  who   have 
investigated  the  subject,  that  defective  eyesight  is  on 
the  increase  among  our  youth.     It  is  unquestionably 
true   that   poor   paper,   bad    impressions,    broken   and 
worn  type,  and  fine  print  in  our  books  have  had  much 
to  do  with  injuring  the  sight  of  school  children. 

The  paper  used  in  all  books  should  be  thick  and 
firm  in  texture,  so  as  not  to  be  transparent;  it  should 
be  white,  forming  a  sharp  contrast  with  the  black  let- 
ter; and  should  be  without  any  gloss  to  dazzle  the 
eyes.     The   ink   is  a  matter  of  importance;    the  type 

13 


ig4  Co77imon    Se7ise    Didactics 

should  be  of  a  proper  size  and  form  so  as  to  give  a 
perfect  impression;  and  the  general  arrangement  of 
the  page  should  be  such  as  to  render  each  letter  and 
word  legible  without  any  conscious  effort  of  the  eye. 

The  eyesight  of  the  child  is  his  most  precious  heri- 
tage; more  precious  even  to  the  children  of  the  poor 
than  to  those  of  the  wealthy,  as  its  use  is  one  of  the 
means  by  which  they  are  to  obtain  a  livelihood.  A 
text-book  which  is  not  made  in  accordance  with  the 
latest  scientific  discoveries,  calculated  to  preserve  and 
strengthen  this  sense,  should  not  be  allowed  in  the 
schoolroom,  no  matter  how  excellent  it  may  be  in 
other  respects.  Such  mechanical  perfection  is  not  the 
result  of  accident.  To  produce  it  requires  expenditure 
of  money,  scientific  research,  and  the  employment  of 
skilled  labor.  If  you  are  asked  by  your  directors  to 
recommend  text-books  for  adoption,  pay  particular 
attention  to  the  points  enumerated  above. 

Under  the  head  of  physical  culture  I  do  not  include 
gymnastics,  athletic  exercise,  and  exercises  tending  to 
develop  the  muscles  and  strengthen  the 
culture.  body.  You  will  find  these  treated  of  under 
another  title.  Physical  culture  has  refer- 
ence to  the  growth  of  the  body  into  that  natural  grace 
of  form  and  movement  which  belongs  to  childhood. 
I  instance  only  a  few  important  points.  You  should 
pay  very  careful  attention  to  the  posture  assumed  by 
the  pupils  in  walking,  standing,  or  sitting.  Those  posi- 
tions which  cramp  the  chest,  induce  round  shoulders, 
or  distort  the  spine,  should  be  carefully  guarded  against. 

As  you  sit  at  your  table,  or,  more  to  the  purpose,  as 
you  stand  at  the  end  of  the  room,  notice  with  care  the 
positions  the  pupils  take  while  at  their  desks.  There 
is  one  boy  who  has  slipped  down  under  his  desk  until 


The    Hygie?ie    of  the    School  igf, 

his  weight  rests  on  the  end  of  his  spine.  Another  is 
bending  over  his  work  so  as  to  compress  his  vital 
organs  to  such  an  extent  that  they  cannot  do  the  work 
demanded  of  them.  Mark  that  boy  moving  uneasily 
in  his  seat,  swinging  his  legs  as  they  dangle  in  the  air. 
His  feet  are  six  or  seven  inches  from  the  floor.  How 
would  you  like  to  take  his  place  and  swing  your  feet 
for  hours  at  a  time? 

By  and  by  his  mother  will  take  him  to  the  doctor 
and  tell  him  that  Johnny  complains  that  his  bones 
ache  and  his  feet  are  numb;  that  he  is  too  tired  and 
restless  to  sleep  soundly  as  a  child  ought  to  sleep. 
The  doctor  prescribes  a  tonic  and  "take  him  out  of 
school."  Can  you  not  change  his  seat  and  desk  so  as 
to  remedy  these  evils,  in  part  at  least? 

Do  you  see  that  little  girl  writing  at  her  desk? 
Observe  that  her  arm  is  elevated  so  as  to  be  at  right 
angles  with  her  side  and  that  her  left  shoulder  is  cor- 
respondingly depressed.  In  a  few  months  her  mother 
will  take  her  to  the  physician  to  be  treated  for  curva- 
ture of  the  spine.  Isn't  prevention  to  be  preferred  to 
cure  in  such  cases?  Better  that  the  lessons  in  penman- 
ship be  put  off  to  a  later  period,  than  that  the  child 
should  be  allowed  to  assume  a  position  which  requires 
the  arm  to  be  raised  at  right  angles  to  the  body  as  she 
sits  at  her  desk.  In  many  cases  curvature  of  the  spine 
can  be  traced  directly  to  the  writing  lesson  in  school. 

The  gymnastics  practiced  in  school  under  various 
names  and  systems  are  useful  in  quickening  the  circu- 
lation and  in  promoting  development  of  Gymnas- 
certain  muscles.  Practice  them  when  the  tics;ath- 
windows  are  open  for  ventilation,  in  con- 
nection with  breathing  exercises,  or  when  the  weather 
is  too  inclement  for  the  usual  recess. 


ig6  Common    Se?tse    Didactics 

I  want,  however,  to  caution  you  against  the  notion 
that  anything  can  take  the  place  of  exercise  in  the 
open  air  when  the  weather  is  suitable.  Possibly  you 
will  find  that  the  school  authorities  have  dispensed 
with  the  out-door  recess  and  that  the  teacher  has  sub- 
stituted for  it  a  five-minute  gymnastic  drill,  which  d^ 
a  matter  of  exercise  is  about  as  beneficial  as  a  long, 
deep,  healthy  yawn  would  be!  I  do  not  know  who 
first  suggested  the  idea  of  abolishing  the  out-door 
recess.  Whoever  he  was,  he  was  no  friend  to  children. 
There  is  nothing  that  can  fill  the  place  of  it. 

Baseball  and  football  are  excellent  when  under  con- 
trol; but  do  not  let  them  run  riot  among  your  boys. 
A  victory  in  the  athletic  field  is  not  the  greatest 
honor  the  school  can  achieve,  and  is  sometimes  pur- 
chased at  a  fearful  loss  of  time  and  interest  in  studies. 

All  the  games  should  be  under  the  eye  of  the 
teacher.  The  recess  is  no  time  for  hearing  lessons  or 
disciplining  pupils.  The  recess  is  time  for  real  play, 
and  the  children  should  be  encouraged  to  enter  heart- 
ily into  their  games.  Of  course,  allowance  must  be 
made  for  city  schools  having  no  play-ground.  But 
even  in  these  schools  the  tension  should  l^e  relieved  by 
an  intermission  near  the  middle  of  each  half  day,  at 
which  time  the  pupils  should  be  allowed  to  talk  with 
each  other,  to  move  about  the  room,  and  to  be,  in  a 
large  measure,  free  from  restraint.  In  this  connection 
read  in  the  quotations  at  the  close  of  this  chapter  the 
extract  from  Francis  H.  Tabor. 

In  every  case  where  city  water  is  not  available,  the 
schoolhouse  well  must  have  some  attention.  Pure 
water  is  absolutely  essential  to  health.  See  to  it  that 
the  school  authorities  look  closely  after  this  matter. 
Especially    insist  upon  it  that   after    a   vacation  the 


The    Hygiene    of  the    School  igj 

well  must   be  thoroughly  pumped  out   before   the  chil- 
dren  drink  from  it.     This  is  a  matter  of  grave  impor- 
tance  which    is   but    seldom    attended    to. 
Keep  the  pails  clean,   and  have  them  filled  supply. 

with  fresh  water  three  or  four  times  a  day.  Do 
not  leave  water  in  the  pails  or  cups  over  night.  When 
possible,  see  that  the  pails  and  cups  are  taken  every 
week  to  some  neighbor's  house  and  cleansed  with  hot 
water;  but  if  a  janitor  is  employed,  then  it  should  be 
part  of  his  work  to  keep  all  drinking  receptacles 
scrupulously  clean. 

Do  not  let  one  drink  what  another  has  left  in  a  cup^  nor 
should  the  water  remaining  in  a  cup  after  a  child  has 
had  his  drink  be  thrown  back  in  the  pail.  If  any 
thoughtful  mother  provides  an  individual  cup  for  her 
child,  no  other  child  should  be  allowed  to  drink  from 
it  under  any  pretense  whatever.  It  would  be  much 
better  to  have  individual  cups  for  the  entire  school 
whenever  it  is  possible.  Often  the  teacher  can  bring 
it  about  with  very  little  trouble  and  it  is  exceedingly 
desirable.  All  these  are  little  points,  not  often  con- 
sidered worthy  of  notice;  and  yet  a  decent  regard  to 
cleanliness  and  health  will  prompt  a  conscientious 
teacher  to  see  that  such  rules  are  carefully  observed. 

It  is  a  legitimate  part  of  a  teacher's  work  in  the  com- 
mon school  to  carefully  guard  against  the  entrance  of 

contagious  diseases  into  the  school.     This 

,      .      ^  Tf        1  -ij  Contas:ious 

you  can  do  m  two  ways:  If  a  child  comes    diseases. 

from  a  home  in  which  such  a  disease  as 
diphtheria,  smallpox,  or  scarlet  fever  exists,  even  in  a 
mild  form,  rigorously  exclude  him  from  the  school. 
In  case  he  has  had  such  a  disease  and  returns  as  recov- 
ered, demand  a  certificate  from  some  physician  that 
all  reasonable  precautions  have  been  taken  to  prevent 


ig8  Common    Sense    Didactic s 

contagion  from  the  presence  of  such  a  pupil  in  the 
schoolroom.  This  is  not  only  your  right,  but  it  is 
your  bounden  duty  as  concerning  the  welfare  of  the 
community  and  of  the  children  under  your  care. 

But  more  than  this,  you  should  exercise  watchfulness 
over  the  children  that  you  may  detect  the  beginning 
of  the  disease.  Headache,  feverish  condition,  sore 
throat  in  any  child  will  always  justify  the  teacher  in 
sending  the  case  home  with  a  note  to  the  parents. 
Do  not  take  any  risks,  but  watch  these  points  with  the 
greatest  care.  Don't  allow  children  to  spit  upon  the 
floor,  and  avoid  in  all  possible  ways  raising  a  dust  in 
the  room.  It  is  not  possible  to  introduce  medical 
inspection  in  all  the  schools.  For  this  reason  it  is  all 
the  more  important  that  teachers  should  be  acquainted 
with  the  symptoms  of  these  diseases  and  able  to  rec- 
ognize an  ailing  pupil  at  once  and  report  the  case  to 
the  proper  person. 

The  choice  of  janitor  for  a  building  of  two  or  more 

rooms   is   nearly  as   important  as    that   of    principal. 

,     .^  There  should  be  a  most  friendly  relation 

Janttors.  .    "^ 

between  him  and  the  teachers  in  the  build- 
ing. If  they  have  the  right  understanding  of  their 
respective  duties  they  may  be  mutually  helpful.  It  is 
not  best  to  delegate  to  him  entire  authority  over  the 
pupils  on  the  school  grounds,  but  the  children  should 
be  taught  to  respect  him,  and  when  he  reports  disor- 
der or  abuse  of  privilege  the  matter  should  receive 
immediate  attention. 

Do  not,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  expect  too  much 
from  the  janitor,  or  impose  unnecessary  duties  upon 
him.  Whatever  he  has  to  do,  see  that  he  does  it  thor- 
oughly. Do  not  treat  him  as  a  menial,  but  interest 
him,  if  you  can,  in  the  welfare  of  the  school.     I  once 


The    Hygiene    of  the    School  igg 

said  to  a  janitor  who  came  to  the  office  for  supplies: 

"How    is    Miss getting   on?"     She   was   a   new 

teacher  and  an  experiment.  "Pig-pen,"  was  all  his 
answer.  He  had  no  education  except  such  as  the 
Lord  gives  some  people — good  common  sense.  Upon 
investigation  I  found  that  when  she  "adjourned  school" 
— she  always  used  that  term — the  floor  was  littered 
with  papers  and  refuse;  the  children  were  not  required 
to  clean  their  shoes,  and  a  general  air  of  untidiness 
was  everywhere  evident.  There  was  more  work  for 
the  janitor  to  do  in  that  room  than  in  any  two  other 
rooms  in  the  building. 

Washing  the  floors  and  desks,  sweeping,  dusting,  and 
building  the  fires  is  not  all  the  work  the  janitor  should 
accomplish.  There  are  a  thousand  little  things  making 
for  comfort  and  health  and  cleanliness  in  which  you 
may  ask  his  aid.  A  few  things  observe  with  care: 
Treat  your  janitor  courteously;  if  you  have  occasion  to 
find  fault  with  his  work,  do  it  without  any  spirit  of 
censoriousness;  and  when  he  does  well  let  him  know 
that  you  appreciate  it.  Possibly  you  may  find  occa- 
sion to  lend  a  helping  hand  in  the  work  of  keeping 
things  clean.  Read  this  from  Ruskin — it  is  practica- 
ble: "I  myself  have  washed  a  flight  of  stone  stairs  all 
down,  with  bucket  and  broom,  in  a  Savony  inn,  where 
they  hadn't  washed  their  stairs  since  they  first  went  up 
them,  and  I  never  made  a  better  sketch  than  that 
afternoon." 

It  is  the  janitor's  business  also,  to  care  for  the  clean- 
liness of  the  outbuildings  and  closets.  This  you  should 
require  of  him,  and  should  take  immediate  notice  of 
any  abuse  of  these  buildings  by  the  pupils.  Nothing 
should  deter  you  from  talking  to  the  janitor  about 
these  matters,  or  from  upholding  his  authority  when- 


200  Cominofi    Se7isc    Didactics 

ever  it  seems  necessary.  Look  to  this  point  yourself. 
There  is  no  excuse  why  every  law  of  decency  which 
prevails  in  all  respectable  homes  should  be  violated, 
as  it  is,  in  the  buildings  to  which  our  children  resort 
when  at  school.  Horace  Mann  once  wrote:  "A  want 
of  decency  enforced  upon  boys  and  girls  will  become 
physical  and  moral  turpitude  in  men  and  women."  The 
doctrine  of  suggestion  is  applicable  here.  The  inde- 
cent writing,  the  obscene  pictures  on  the  walls,  may 
be  springs  of  impurity  whose  waters  will  embitter  the 
entire  life  of  the  child.     (See  page  146.) 

Pupils  should  be  so  trained  that  they  need  not  ask 
permission  to  leave  the  room,  but  go  out  quietly  as  in 

^  ,  a  well  ordered  home,  attracting  as  little 
General  .  '  *=*     . 

considera-  attention  as  possible  and  returning  as 
tions.  quietly  to  their  desks.  Their  reasons  should 

not  be  questioned.  In  this  matter  you  can  safely  trust 
their  honor.  The  following  extract  is  by  William  K. 
Fowler,  state  superintendent  of  Nebraska: 

"A  teacher  should  permit  pupils  to  leave  the  school- 
room when  necessary,  and  she  should  be  cautioned  not 
to  constitute  herself  the  judge  of  the  child's  physical 
necessities,  but  she  should  use  all  reasonable  means  to 
reduce  the  number  to  a  minimum.  One  teacher  has 
adopted  the  plan  of  excusing  during  the  first  five  min- 
utes after  nine  o'clock,  while  settling  down  and  hang- 
ing wraps,  pupils  who  think  they  may  need  to  pass  out 
before  recess,  and  strange  as  it  may  seem,  this  almost 
entirely  cures  the  evil  of  a  string  of  pupils  constantly 
going  and  coming.  Pupils  will  not  neglect  play  to 
attend  to  their  physical  necessities  before  school  time, 
even  with  the  tap  of  the  bell  five  minutes  before  the 
hour  to  remind  them." 

Do  not  allow  yourself  to  be  prejudiced   against  a 


The    Hygiene    of  the    ScJiool  201 

hearty  laugh  on  the  part  of  the  pupils.  Sometimes 
join  with  them  and  enjoy  it.  It  relieves  the  strain, 
and  enlivens  the  school  as  nothing  else  can.  From  a 
hygienic  viewpoint  the  atmosphere  of  our  schoolrooms 
is  too  somber.  Scowling  and  frowning  should  be 
buried  in  the  same  grave  with  nagging  and  scolding. 
(See  page  2>^.) 

Attention  to  the  clothing  of  the  children  is  also  a 
part  of  your  duty.  No  pupil  should  be  allowed  to 
pass-  from  the  heated  atmosphere  of  the  ^  . 
schoolroom  into  the  outer  air  without  some  outside 
additional  protection,  in  the  way  of  cloth-  wraps. 
ing,  for  the  head  and  shoulders.  When  school  is  out 
at  noon  or  night,  the  pupils,  especially  the  younger 
ones,  should  be  carefully  watched  by  the  teacher  to 
see  that  they  are  suitably  prepared  for  the  walk  home. 
In  cold  weather  they  should  be  allowed  to  bring  their 
wraps  into  the  warm  room  to  make  their  preparations. 
Everything  which  is  done  for  their  comfort  tends  to 
promote  their  health.  Wet,  damp  clothing  or  outside 
wraps  of  any  kind  should  not  be  allowed  to  hang  in  the 
room  in  which  the  children  study.  The  steam  and 
odor  which  come  from  them  helps  to  vitiate  the 
atmosphere  and  to  render  it  unfit  for  breathing. 

Worry  has  killed  thousands  of  people.  It  is  a  kind 
of  contagious  disease  for  which  no  sure  remedy  has 
yet  been   found.     It  seems   to  be  a  great  .y 

sorrow  that  it  is  ever  permitted  to  invade 
the  realm  of  happy,  cheerful  childhood,  or  to  cast  its 
baleful   shadows  across  the  pathway  of  the  ambitious 
youth. 

Whenever  the  child  goes  home  at  night  tired  with 
the  restraint  of  the  school  and  worried  over  lessons 
wnich   must  be  prepared   for  the  next  day,  when  his 


202  Common    Se^ise    Didactics 

sleep  is  disturbed  by  visions  of  unlearned  tasks  which 
he  seems  vainly  trying  to  master,  then  it  is  high  time 
to  call  a  halt.  Either  the  lessons  are  too  long  or  the 
subject  is  above  his  limited  comprehension,  or,  as  is 
often  the  case,  he  is  stimulated  to  an  unhealthy  degree 
by  the  feverish  desire  to  stand  at  the  head  of  his  class. 
It  is  in  your  power  to  remedy  these  evils  by  reason- 
able requirements  and  by  holding  up  only  proper 
motives  before  the  pupils.  That  is  not  a  proper 
motive  which  makes  a  pupil  who  has  done  his  best 
dissatisfied  with  himself  because  some  one  else  has 
done  better,  or  makes  a  pupil  who  has  not  done  his 
best  satisfied  with  himself  because  some  rival  has 
fallen  below  him  in  class  standing.     (See  page  29.) 

In  regard  to  the  assigning  of  lessons  to  be  learned  at 
home,  very  careful  discrimination  should  be  exercised 

by  the  teacher,  "having  due  regard  to  age» 
^tudy.  health,  and  status"  of  the  child.     However, 

there  is  a  change  coming;  the  tendency  is 
in  the  right  direction,  and  the  home  life  of  the  child 
will  receive  deserved  attention.  It  would  be  better 
for  the  pupil  if  he  had  fewer  studies,  shorter  lessons, 
more  intense  study  during  school  hours,  and  more  free- 
dom at  home  for  general  reading  and  for  cultivating 
habits  of  helpfulness  to  others.  The  rules  and  regula- 
tions under  which  you  work  may  not  leave  you  any 
right  of  private  judgment,  but  they  cannot  destroy 
your  right  to  think.  The  child  who  is  compelled  to 
spend  all  his  time  out  of  school  on  school  work  and 
who  has  no  time  for  home  duties  is  being  deprived  of 
the  best  part  of  his  education.  If  you  would  have 
your  pupils  happy  and  healthy,  greet  them  with  smiles 
in  the  morning;  take  your  sunshine  with  you  when 
you  go  to  your  schoolroom.      Don't  nag  and  fret  and 


Th e    Hy gi ene    of  the    School  2oj 

worry  the  pupils  over  the  little  disappointments  and 

difficulties  of  school  duties,  but  send  them  home  when 

school  is  done  with  the  contented  spirit  of  childhood, 

"...  that  througJ I  all  the  ages  past. 

Has  kept  the  world  from  growing  old. ' ' 

Quotations  Worth  Reading 

VENTILA  TION. 

Pure  air  means  dearer  brains  and  better  lessons,  and  may 
determine  whether  or  not  a  child  shall  gain  a  sufficient  knowledge 
to  assure  his  success  in  life.  In  every  half  day  of  school  it  is  well 
to  allow  a  short  recess  in  which  windows  and  doors  can  be  thrown 
wide  open  and  the  pupils  sent  out  to  get  deep  breaths  of  oxygen 
during  play. 

—  Selected. 

Dr.  Franklin,  in  his  usual  humorous  manner,  but  with  his 
accustomed  gravity,  relates  in  one  of  his  essays  the  following 
anecdote  for  the  purpose,  doubtless,  of  showing  the  influence  of 
pure  air  upon  health,  happiness  and  longevity.  "It  is  recorded 
of  Methusalem,  whom  being  the  longest  liver,  may  be  supposed  to 
have  best  preserved  his  health,  that  he  slept  always  in  the  open 
air ;  for  when  he  had  lived  five  hundred  years  an  angel  said  to 
him,  'Arise,  Methusalem,  and  build  thee  a  house,  for  thou  shalt 
live  yet  five  hundred  years  longer. '  But  Methusalem  answered 
and  said,  'If  I  live  but  five  hundred  years  longer,  it  is  not  worth 
while  to  build  me  a  house.  I  will  sleep  in  the  air  as  I  have  been 
accustomed  to  do. '  ' ' 

— Ira  Mayhew. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  very  much  of  the  complaint  we 
hear  of  the  injurious  effects  of  school  life  upon  children  and  the 
■early  breaking  down  and  heavy  death  rate  among  teachers  are 
due  far  more  to  unwholesome  conditions  of  work  than  to  the 
severity  of  the  work  itself. 

—Joseph  Landon. 

It  is  often  possible  to  see,  especially  in  the  case  of  young  and 
delicate  children,  how  a  fresh,  healthy  appearance  gradually  dis- 
appears and  gives  place  to  a  pale,  anaemic  color — a  condition 
traceable  chiefly  to  the  impure  air  of  the  schools. 

— Kotelmann. 

The  sirnplest  and  most  effective  form  of  ventilation  in  school 
buildings  in  rural  communities  is  to  have  a  cold-air  box  extending 
from  an  opening  in  the  wall  under  the  floor  to  a  point  immediately 
beneath  the  stove.  This  air  shaft  should  be  as  short  and  direct 
as  possible.     It  should  be  at  least  30  inches  square  for  a  single 


204  Co 7)1  mo 71    Se?ise    Didactic s 

room  building,  and  should  be  covered  at  both  ends  with  a  coarse 
wire  netting  and  about  one  inch  inside  of  this  netting  screens 
should  be  placed  similar  to  those  used  in  dwelling  houses  to 
exclude  flies.  The  opening  beneath  the  stove  should  be  provided 
with  a  slide  which  may  be  completely  closed  during  the  time  the 
room  is  being  cleansed  or  swept. 

The  stove  should  be  surrounded  by  a  Russia  iron  jacket 
fastened  securely  to  the  floor,  and  extending  above  the  top  of  the 
stove  from  eight  to  twelve  inches.  The  sides  of  the  jacket  should 
not  be  at  any  point  within  six  inches  of  the  sides  of  the  stove.  By 
this  very  simple  plan  fresh  air  is  admitted  to  the  room  in  any 
required  volume,  and  is  passed  near  the  stove  in  such  a  way  as  to 
be  warmed  before  it  passes  into  the  room. 

The  ventilating  flue  or  chimney  for  school  houses  of  one  room 
should  be  not  less  than  30  inches  square  on  the  inside.  The  smoke- 
stack should  be  about  8  inches  in  diameter,  and  placed  in  such 
position  in  the  flue  as  to  be  most  easily  connected  with  the 
heating  apparatus.  The  register  which  opens  into  the  ventilating 
flue  or  chimney  should  be  about  28  inches  square,  and  shouldd  be 
covered  with  a  coarse  wire  netting,  bordered  by  a  simple  mould- 
ing on  the  outside.     This  opening  should  be  near  the  floor. 

—  W.  W.SUtson. 
CARE  OF  THE  EYES. 

Direct  sunlight  should  not  fall  on  the  eyes  or  work  of  the  pupils, 
as  it  will  irritate  the  retina.  To  prevent  this  school  windows 
should  have  means  of  protection  either  on  the  outside  or  on  the 
inside. 

— Kotelmanyi. 

Do  not  let  children  bend  over  their  desks;  still,  remember  that 
the  short-sighted  child  cannot  sit  up  and  see  his  book  on  a  flat 
desk.  To  save  children  from  becoming  short-sighted  prevent 
them  from  using  their  eyes  too  long  and  too  closely  on  near 
objects.  The  boy  should  sit  up  well,  with  his  head  upright  and 
his  eyes  at  least  twelve  inches  from  his  book. 

—Francis  Warner. 

BLACKBOARD  AND  TEXT-BOOK. 

The  Position  of  Blackboards. — The  blackboards  should  be  on 
the  inner  wall  of  the  room,  where  the  greater  amount  of  light  will 
fall  upon  them,  and  they  should  be  of  a  dull  black  color.  The 
principal  cause  of  defective  eyesight  in  school  children  is  no 
doubt  traceable  to  improper  lighting  of  the  room,  which  may  be 
either  excessive  light  or  deficient  light  or  light  coming  from  the 
wrong  direction.  The  position  of  the  blackboards  and  their 
frequent  use  for  copying  exercises  while  the  child  is  at  his  desk 
requires  rapid  changes  in  the  accommodation,  which  is  also  a 
factor  in  producing  defective  eyesight.  Another  factor,  inde- 
pendent of  the  arrangement  of  the  schoolroom,  is  the  use  of 
books  printed  with  defective  type  or  with  too  small  a  type. 

— /.  Y.Bergen. 


The    Hygiene    of  the    School  20 j 

Through  the  sense  of  sight  the  mind  has  its  broadest  field  of 
knowledge.  The  eye  is  the  soul's  most  perfect  window,  as  it 
seeks  to  scan  this  outer  world  as  a  wonderful  mechanism,  and  in 
its  interdependent  movements. 

— Lewis  Ransom  Fiske. 
PHYSICAL  CULTURE. 

There  are  certain  negative  duties  which  are  self-evident. 
Teachers  should  at  least  protect  their  pupils  against  impure  air, 
too  long  confinement,  over-work  and  the  deadening  effects  of 
mental  worry,  caused  by  severe  competitive  written  examinations. 
A  great  deal  more  than  this  ought  to  be  done,  but  in  many  schools 
not  even  this  is  attempted. 

—John  Swett. 

At  college  I  was  taught  the  motions  of  the  heavenly  bodies  as 
if  their  keeping  in  their  orbits  depended  upon  my  knowing  them, 
while  I  was  in  profound  ignorance  of  the  laws  of  health  of  my 
own  body.  The  rest  of  my  life  was,  in  consequence,  the  one  long 
battle  with  exhausted  energies. 

—Horace  Mann. 

Parents  and  teachers  should  never  forget  that  children  are  as 
susceptible  to  physical  training  as  to  intellectual  or  moral  culture. 
And  here  especially  they  should  be  "trained  up  in  the  way  they 
should  go. ' '     Physical  uprightness  is  next  to  moral. 

— Ira  Mayhew. 

What  we  call  skill  in  the  arts  consists  of  muscles  and  nerves 
trained  to  respond  to  some  mental  ideal.  A  habit  is  a  facility  of 
doing  in  some  particular  way  amounting  to  a  tendency. 

— Lewis  Ransom  Fiske. 

There  should  be  the  same  intelligent  and  sympathetic  super- 
vision and  direction  of  the  play  activities  of  the  pupils  as  of  their 
studies. 

— Ruric  N.  Roark. 

This  reminds  us  how  many  wells  and  cisterns  that  stand 
unused  during  the  long  vacation  are  supposed  to  be  ready  for  use 
as  soon  as  the  pump-handle  is  fixed  or  bucket  tied  to  the  rope. 
Every  such  well  or  cistern  ought  to  be  thoroughly  cleaned  out 
before  the  pupils  are  permitted  to  use  the  water  in  it.  Filth, 
and  too  often  death,  is  at  the  bottom.  Teachers,  do  not  forget 
your  responsibility  in  such  matters.  See  that  the  board  under- 
stands its  responsibility  also. 

—A.  R.  Taylor. 
GYMNASTICS. 

There  can  be  no  comparison  between  a  good  healthy  game — in 
which  every  muscle  is  suitably  exercised  and  brain  and  lungs  join 
in  the  complete  happiness  of  the  honest  laugh  and  the  careless 
shout — and  the  "dead  alive"  military  drill,  or  formal  gymnastics, 
which,  while  developing  many  muscles  abnormally  leave  the  brain 
torpid  and  the  spirits  depressed. 

— Francis  H.  Tabor. 


2o6  Co  mm  0  71    Sense    Didactics 

The  following  are  the  requirements  for  a  good  school  desk: 
The  seat  should  be  of  such  a  height  that  the  feet  may  be  placed 
evenly  on  the  floor  or  foot  rest,  while  the  upper  and  lower  legs 
make  right  angles  with  one  another.  Its  height  must,  therefore. 
be  somewhat  less  than  the  distance  from  the  sole  of  the  foot  to  the 

knee. 

— Koielmann. 
HOME  STUDY. 

It  is  a  question  well  worth  the  consideration  of  our  school  men 
and  educational  theorists  whether  the  time  has  not  come  for  the 
simplification  of  the  courses  of  study  and  the  reduction  of  the 
number  of  school  hours  in  our  gymnasia. 

— Kotelmann. 

Children  under  ten  years  of  age  ought  to  have  no  lessons 
whatever  assigned  for  home  study.  Whatever  time  they  can 
spare  from  play  ought  to  be  spent  in  reading  suitable  library 
books.  Boys  and  girls  from  ten  to  twelve  years  of  age  ought  not 
to  have  more  than  one  lesson  for  home  study.  And  girls  from 
fourteen  to  sixteen  years  of  age,  in  high  schools,  ought  not  to 
study  more  than  one  hour  a  day  out  of  school.  From  ten  to 
sixteen  is  the  golden  period  for  the  reading  of  good  books,  and 
any  course  of  school  work  that  deprives  pupils  of  time  to  read  by- 
keeping  them  all  the  time  at  the  drudgery  of  text-book  lessons  is 
a  mental  wrong  and  a  physical  sin. 

—John  Swett. 

May  we  not  reverently  ask,  What  shall  it  profit  a  child  if  he 
gain  the  whole  world  of  knowledge  and  lose  his  health,  or  what 
shall  he  give  in  exchange  for  his  health? 

—G.  Stanley  Hall. 

TEACH  THE  CHILDREN 

Not  to  spit ;  it  is  rarely  necessary.  To  spit  on  a  slate,  floor,  or 
sidewalk  is  an  abomination. 

Not  to  put  the  fingers  into  the  mouth. 

Not  to  pick  the  nose. 

Not  to  wet  the  finger  with  saliva  in  turning  the  leaves  of  books. 

Not  to  put  pencils  into  the  mouth  or  moisten  them  with  the  lips. 

Not  to  put  money  into  the  mouth. 

Not  to  put  anything  into  the  mouth  except  food  and  drink. 

Not  to  swap  apple  cores,  candy,  chewing  gum,  half-eaten  food, 
whistles  or  bean  blowers,  or  anything  that  is  habitually  put  in 
the  mouth. 

—Clifton  F.  Hodge,  in  Nature  Study. 

Questions  for  Examination 

/.  What  relation  exists  between  a  healthy  body  and  a  brain 

capable  of  doing  its  best  work? 
2.  How  many  cubic  feet  of  pure  air  should  be  allowed  each 

pupil  per  hour? 


The    Hygiene    of  the    School  20^ 

J.  Give    conditions  of  ventilating    a  schoolroom  by  various 

methods, 
4.   What  danger  arises  from  too  frequent  use  of  the  blackboard 

in  giving  instruction? 
J.  Give  the  two  cautions  as  to  placing  writing  upon  the  board. 

6.  Give  the  caution  regarding  the  position  at  the  desk  in  the 

penmanship  lesson. 

7.  What  attention  should  be  given  nearsighted  pupils? 

8.  What  is  the  teacher's  duty  as  regards  the  clothing  of  the 

children  when  passing  out  of  the  room? 

9.  What  are  proper  and  what  improper  motives  as  incentives 

to  study? 
10.  Why  is  it  not  well  to  crowd  children  so  that  they  worry 
over  their  lessons? 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

J.  Is  there  too  much  home  study  assigned  in  our  schools  to-day? 
3.  The  use  and  abuse  of  athletics. 

3.  How  can  I  improve  my  schoolroom  so  as  to  make  it  more 

healthful? 

4.  What  is  the  effect  of  pictures  on  the  walls? 

5.  How  to  make  the  out-doors  recess  beneficial  to  study  and 

health. 


CHAPTER  XI  . 
THE  CULTIVATION  OF  TASTE 
Beautiful  Gates  Are  for  Beautiful  Things 

We  hear  much  in  these  days  of  the  precocity  of  childhood. 
Josephus  tells  us  that  once  in  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  this  golden 
gate  which  we  have  made  the  image  of  childhood,  "was  seen  to 
be  opened  of  its  own  accord  about  the  sixth  hour  of  the  night." 
Some  thought  it  was  a  good  omen,  "as  if  God  did  open  to  them 
the  gate  of  happiness."  Others  thought  it  was  very  bad,  "as  if 
the  gate  were  open  to  the  advantage  of  their  enemies."  So  in 
this  critical  time  of  ours  not  the  least  critical  sign  is  this:  that  the 
golden  gate  stands  open  wide,  that  childhood  is  exposed  and  sen- 
sitive to  new  impressions  and  ideas.  Is  it  for  good  or  evil?  The 
wider  open  the  gate  the  better,  if  only  the  truth  can  be  poured  in. 
The  more  receptive  the  children's  life  the  better,  if  only  they  who 
train  the  children  can  thoroughly  believe  that  there  is  a  manly 
and  beautiful  religion  of  which  the  child  is  capable,  and  work 
with  God  to  bring  their  children  to  it. 

—Phillips  Brooks. 

THIS  chapter  has  much  to  do  with  schools  in  the 
rural  districts.     Teachers  in  graded  schools  can 
read   it  with  profit.     To  make  a  system  of  education 
Aims  of        effective  it  must  be  in  accord  with  its  envi- 
the  coun-        ronments.     The  country  school  should  be 
^  '      thoroughly  countrified;  it  should  never  put 

on  metropolitan  airs.  It  is  not  desirable  that  the 
country  school  should  keep  equal  pace  with  the  city 
system  in  the  character  and  kind  of  studies  introduced 
in  it;  but  especially  in  nature  studies  and  in  elemen- 
tary science  as  bearing  upon  agriculture  and  rural  life, 
the  curriculum  of  the  country  school  should  be  greatly 
enlarged.  What  the  city  school  ought  to  do  in  fitting 
boys  for  the  office  or  for  professions,  the  country 
school   must  do  in  fitting  boys  and  girls  for  the  farm. 

20S 


The    Cttltiv atioii  of   Taste  2og 

Just  as  soon  as  the  farmers  in  the  agricultural  sections 
of  the  land  find  that  the  school  is  making  the  boys  and 
girls  more  useful  on  the  farm,  more  intelligent  and 
more  contented  to  remain  at  home,  they  will  value  it 
for  its  usefulness  and  rally  to  its  support.  Whatever 
has  a  tendency  to  make  the  boy  more  intelligent  in 
farming  matters  or  to  make  the  life  of  the  farm  more 
attractive  to  him;  whatever  will  make  the  daughter 
more  useful  in  the  home,  or  make  the  home  a  place  of 
supreme  pleasure  to  her,  may  legitimately  be  taught 
in  the  district  school. 

The  subjects  taught  in  the  country  school  ought  to 
bear  a  close  relation  to  country  life.  The  great  store- 
house of  nature  opens  her  doors  and  displays  her  treas- 
ures to  the  rural  school.  Seedtime  and  harvest,  bud 
and  flower,  blossom  and  fruit,  the  care  of  animals, 
singing  birds  and  running  streams,  can  be  made^the 
source  of  lessons  useful  as  well  as  pleasant  to  the  chil- 
dren. The  country  school  is  shorn  of  half  its  usefulness 
because  the  teacher  is  not  able  to  rise  to  the  height  of 
her  opportunities.  And  what  a  wonderful  opportunity 
she  has  to  teach  the  pupil  "to  translate  forms  of  beauty 
into  thought,  and  thought  into  words." 

In  an  article  in  the  Common  School Jour?ial,  then,  in 
1840,  edited  by  Horace  Mann,  the  writer,  after  enu- 
merating a  long  list  of  eminent  men,  says  of  them: 
"All  common  school  men,  some  scarcely  that,  but  yet 
all  educated  men,  because  they  were  made  alive." 
The  school,  whether  it  be  in  the  city  or  country,  which 
does  not  do  this  for  the  pupils  is  failing  of  its  purpose. 
We  have  lost  sight,  to  some  extent,  of  the  purposes  of 
school  education,  and  possibly  we  may  have  to  go  back 
to  the  country  school  of  Horace  Mann  in  order  to  get 
our  bearings  again. 

14 


210  Co  mm  0  71    Sense    Didactics 

I  do  not  say  we  do  not,  but  I  do  say  we  ought  to 
turn  out  of  our  common  schools  reasonable,  thinking, 
live  men  and  women,  anxious  to  be  of  service  to  man- 
kind, eager  for  knowledge,  with  a  quickened  con- 
science, with  the  seeds  of  growth  planted  so  deep  that 
neither  drought  nor  frost  can  affect  them,  growing 
year  by  year  like  the  young  sapling  of  the  forest  which 
does  not  reach  its  maturity  until  it  has  been  nourished 
by  the  sunshine  of  a  hundred  summers  and  has  breasted 
the  storms  and  winds  of  a  hundred  winters.  He  is 
educated,  then,  "who  thinks  most,  feels  the  noblest, 
acts  the  best." 

An  ideal  country  schoolhouse  and  grounds  can  very 
easily  be   pictured.     The  grounds   should  be  not  less 

than  one  acre.  The  best  form  is  one  hun- 
The  ideal      ^^^^  ^^^  eighty  feet  front  by  two  hundred 

and  forty  feet  deep.  The  land  should  be 
dry  and  well  drained.  Tame  grass,  such  as  one  would 
have  in  his  own  dooryard  at  home,  and  trees  not  too 
near  the  fence  and  yet  so  planted  as  not  to  be  in  the 
way  of  the  children  when  at  play,  should  be  well  cared 
for.  The  schoolhouse  should  be  located  so  as  to 
admit  of  playgrounds  for  the  boys  and  girls,  with 
open  space  for  outbuildings  and  sheds  in  the  rear. 
To  plant  a  cluster  of  evergreens  so  as  to  hide  such 
buildings  in  a  measure  would  go  very  far  to  inculcate 
that  sense  of  modesty  and  decency  which  is  of  incal- 
culable value  to  our  boys  and  girls.  The  cost  would 
be  a  mere  pittance,  while  the  benefits  would  be  beyond 
our  power  to  estimate.  Hard,  dry  walks  to  the  out- 
buildings and  from  the  front  gate  to  the  door  should 
always  be  provided.  In  the  front  yard  pupils  should 
be  encouraged  to  plant  and  care  for  shrubs  and  flowers. 
Time  spent  in  their  cultivation  would  not  be  thrown 


TJie    Cttltiv atio7i    of   Taste  211 

away  by  any  means.  School  grounds  thus  arranged 
and  beautified  would  exert  an  influence  throughout  the 
entire  district  in  the  improvement  of  farm  property. 
There  is  room  for  great  improvement  along  these  lines 
in  every  state.  Desolate  school  grounds  can  be  made 
glad,  and  the  barren,  treeless  school  lots  can  be  made 
to  bud  and  blossom  as  the  rose. 

The  district  schoolhouse  should  be  the  rallying 
point  for  every  influence  which  tends  to  elevate  or 
benefit  mankind.  Within  its  walls  should 
be  kept  the  district  library,  the  museum  of  in^pia/e'. 
specimens  gathered  and  labeled  by  the 
children,  the  herbarium  of  flowers  and  leaves  which 
the  children  have  gathered  on^he  prairies  or  the  hills. 
Here  may  be  held  the  country  lyceum,  the  debating 
society,  the  singing  school.  No  matter  if  religious 
meetings  and  Sunday  schools  are  held  here,  provided 
the  religious  conscience  can  be  so  elevated  that  the 
worshipers  will  not  desecrate  the  room  by  tobacco, 
nor  purloin  the  books  bf  the  pupils.  Here  may  be  held 
historical  or  scientific  lectures  for  the  benefit  of  both 
parents  and  pupils.  The  surroundings  should  be  sightly 
and  attractive.  Trees  and  flowers  and  shrubs  should 
adorn  the  grounds,  which  should  be  scrupulously  cared 
for.  In  short,  the  district  schoolhouse  and  the  grounds 
should  have  such  a  hold  upon  the  community  that  they 
would  be  the  last  places  which  the  people  would  per- 
mit to  be  desecrated  by  the  vandal  or  the  tramp. 

A  child   naturally   loves   the  beautiful.     If  you  will 
show  me  a  child  who  has  no  love  for  birds  or  flowers, 
or  pictures  or  music,  I  think  that  I  can  in       rh  t    t 
turn  show  you  one  in  whom  the  doctrine  of       for  the 
total  depravity  will   probably  be  exempli-      beautiful, 
fied.     So  strong  is  this  instinct  in  the  child's  mind  that 


212  Common   Sense   Didactics 

the  infant  in  his  mother's  arms  manifests  the  first 
dawning  of  intellect  in  striving  to  reach  some  bright, 
attractive  object,  or  in  jumping  and  crowing  in 
response  to  the  singing  of  the  canary  bird  in  the  cage 
on  the  wall. 

Nor  is  this  true  of  children  alone.  The  attempts  of 
the  poor  in  our  cities  to  keep  alive  their  sense  of  the 
beautiful  is  most  piteous.  The  oyster-can,  picked  up 
out  of  the  street,  is  made  to  serve  as  a  flower  pot  in 
which,  for  a  time,  the  geranium  grows  and  flourishes. 
The  cracked  sugar  bowl  holds  a  rose  which,  in  its 
bloom,  softens  the  air  of  poverty  and  adds  something 
of  cheer  to  the  room.  The  vine  is  trailed  over  the 
broken  window,  and  great  pains  are  taken  to  give 
vigor  and  luxuriance  to  its  foliage. 

Most  touching  sight  of  all  is  it  when,  at  the  door  or 
window,  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  cripple  boy,  the 
sick  girl,  or  the  worn,  discouraged  mother,  trying  to 
get  some  brightness  into  their  life  through  flowers  or 
the  beautiful  things  which  nature  places  at  their  dis- 
posal. It  is  one  of  the  most  beneficent  designs  of 
nature  that  the  lilies  of  the  field  are  not  for  the  rich 
alone;  the  flowers,  and  buds,  and  sunshine,  and  trees, 
and  fruit  are  common  gifts  of  God  to  all  his  creatures. 

Again,  this  innate  love  of  the  beautiful  can  be  made 
a  strong  inflijence  in  shaping  and  forming  youthful 
character.  I  have  seen  a  school  of  rough,  uncultured 
boys  and  girls  completely  transformed  in  spirit  by  the 
action  of  the  teacher  in  appealing  to  their  sense  of 
beauty.  Pictures,  not  always  artistic,  but  better  than 
the  children  see  at  home,  are  hung  upon  the  walls. 
Flowers  occasionally  grace  the  teacher's  desk.  A 
bouquet  of  wild  flowers,  gathered  by  a  boy  or  girl 
on   the  way  to  school,  is  accepted  with  hearty  thanks. 


TJic    Cultivation   of  Taste  21  j 

The  room  is  kept  more  tidy,  and  neatness  of  person 
begins  to  be  the  habit  of  pupils  as  well  as  of  teachers. 

In  many  states  the  law  designates  one  acre  as  a 
suitable  size  for  a  schoolhouse  lot.  This  affords  ample 
room  for  the  buildings,  for  playgrounds  improve- 
and  for  planting  flowers  and  shrubs.  No  ment  of 
more  healthful  influence  can  be  thrown  grounds. 
around  the  school  than  the  habit,  on  the  part  of 
the  children,  of  caring  for  things  which  they  have 
planted  and  the  ownership  of  which  is  vested  in  them. 
A  few  roses  growing  in  a  corner  or  climbing  over  the 
door,  a  flower  bed  at  either  side  of  the  front  walk,  a 
cluster  of  shrubs  near  the  fence  would  cost  but  a  trifle, 
while  the  school  grounds  would  soon  become  attractive 
to  the  children  and  they  would  view  their  school  with 
pleasure  and  not  with  dread. 

There  is  not  very  much,  I  grant,  to  encourage  a 
teacher  in  this  direction.  Often  the  community  would 
sneer  at  it  and  rude  boys  would  destroy  in  a  night  the 
labor  and  growth  of  days.  And  yet  most  teachers  could 
do  a  work  along  this  line  which  would  be  of  immense 
benefit  to  the  next  generation.  Not  only  would  well- 
kept  school  grounds  and  pleasing  buildings  raise  the 
price  of  every  acre  of  ground  in  the  district,  but  the 
boys  and  girls  of  the  community  would  carry  into 
active  life  a  remembrance  of  school  days  which  would 
make  better  men  and  better  women. 

Likewise,  opportunity  exists  for  much  improvement 
in  the  grounds  about  the  city  schools.  As  a  general 
thing,  they  are  destitute  of  shrubs  or  flow- 
ers; they  are  apt  to  be  littered  with  papers  schools. 
and  sticks,  and  refuse  of  all  kinds.  In 
some  cases  they  excel  the  country  school  in  ugliness. 
It  is  very  seldom,  in  the  city,  that  there  is  not  some 


214  Common   Sense  Didactic s 

space  about  the  building  which,  if  the  teachers  were 
only  anxious  to  do  it,  could  be  so  utilized  as  to  culti- 
vate the  children's  taste  and  develop  their  love  for  the 
beautiful  in  nature. 

I  can  only  reiterate  what  I  have  said:  That,  next 
to  his  home,  the  schoolhouse  ought  to  be  to  the  child 
the  most  attractive  spot  in  the  district.  The  lawn 
should  be  of  tame  grass;  trees  of  several  varieties 
should  be  planted  and  cared  for.  I  look  forward  to 
the  time  when,  especially  in  our  country  schools,  it 
will  be  part  of  the  course  to  teach  children  the  kind  of 
trees  which  flourish  best  in  that  section,  which  of  them 
are  best  for  timber,  which  for  shade,  and  which  for 
fuel.  Specimens  of  each  will  then  be  found  on  the 
school  ground  and  referred  to  for  purposes  of  illustra- 
tion. In  the  same  connection  we  must  teach  how  to 
plant  and  care  for  them,  and  thus  cultivate  in  each 
child  an  honest  respect  for  a  thriving,  growing  tree. 
It  means  much  to  the  child  to  be  initiated  in  his  youth 
into  "the  brotherhood  of  venerable  trees." 

To  decorate  the  walls  of  the  rooms  in  the  building 
is  not  necessarily  expensive.  A  few  pictures  which 
can  be  purchased  at  a  small  cost,  a  shelf  in 
Decora-  ^^^  corner  for  books,  plants  growing  in  the 
windows,  two  or  three  vases  filled  with 
flowers  which  the  children  will  take  pleasure  in  pro- 
viding, will  change  the  aspect  of  the  room  and  make 
it  a  pleasant,  cheerful  school  home  for  the  pupils.  It 
is  wonderful  how  much  can  be  done  in  this  direction 
by  the  teacher.  The  effects  of  these  attempts  at 
decoration  render  the  pupils  more  susceptible  to  good 
influences,  and  in  time  reach  into  the  homes  from 
which  the  children  come. 

Very  often  you  will  find  parents  ready  and  willing  to 


The    Cttltiv atio7i   of  Taste  21  § 

assist  you,  by  loaning  pictures  for  a  short  time.  In 
many  places  this  is  done  with  excellent  result.  By 
such  a  means  parents  become  interested  in  the  school 
and  study  works  of  art  at  the  same  time  with  their 
children 

The  following  is  taken  from  the  Report  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Twelve  on  Rural  Schools.  It  is  from  the 
pen  of  Supt.  Lawton  B.  Evans,  of  Georgia. 

"If  children  are  daily  surrounded  by  those  influences 
that  elevate   them,  that  make  them  clean  and  well- 
ordered,  that  make  them  love  flowers,  and    p  om  Re- 
pictures,  and  proper  decorations,  they  at  last  port  0/ 
reach  that  degree  of  culture  where  nothing    ^'^^^//^^ 
else  will  please  them.     When  they  grow  up 
and  have  homes  of  their  own  they  must  have  them 
clean,    neat,   bright  with  pictures,    and    fringed    with 
shade  trees  and  flowers;  for  they  have  been  brought 
up  to  be  happy  in  no  other  environment.     The  true 
test  of  our  civilization  and  culture  is  the  kind  of  home 
we  are  content  to   live  in,  and  the  influences  of  our 
schools  should  help  to  form   a  disposition  for  those 
things  that  make  home   life  happy  and  healthy.     If 
the  farmer's  boy  can  be  taught  to  love  books  when  he 
is  at  school,  he  will  have  a  library  in  his  home  when 
he  becomes  a  man;  if  the  farmer's  girl  can  be  taught 
decoration  at  school,  she  will  want  pictures  and  flow- 
ers and  embroidery  when  she  becomes  a  woman." 

No  teacher  can  be  called  progressive  in  any  true 
sense  of  that  word  who  is  willing  to  teach  in  the  old- 
fashioned  schoolroom  with  bare,  unwhitewashed  walls, 
black  with  the  smoke  of  many  winters,  and  cheerless 
of  anything  calculated  to  make  it  pleasant  or  attrac- 
tive. Something  in  the  air  of  such  a  room  makes 
teaching  a  drudgery  which   is  well-nigh  unendurable. 


2i6  Co  mm  0  71   Sense  Didactics 

It  costs  but  little  to  make  a  beginning,  and,  like  all 
other  good  works,  when  it  is  once  started  it  will  grow. 
Success  depends  upon  whether  the  teacher  is  in  earnest 
or  not. 

No  curriculum  is  complete,  no  matter  how  scientific- 
ally it  may  be  framed,  which  does  not  make  ample 
j^        .  provision   for  the   aesthetical    side   of    the 

child's  nature.  Hence  singing  and  draw- 
ing should  have  their  places  in  the  daily  program. 
The  introduction  of  these  branches  has  done  much  to 
soften  the  austerity  of  school  life  and  to  improve  the 
manners  and  morals  of  the  children. 

If  you  cannot  instruct  in  drawing,  you  are  deficient 
in  an  important  qualification.  Perhaps  you  think  you 
have  no  talent  in  that  direction.  Possibly  you  are 
right;  and  yet  there  are  but  few  persons  who  cannot 
become  fairly  good  instructors  in  drawing  if  they  are 
willing  to  make  the  effort.  You  certainly  can  learn  so 
far  as  to  be  able  to  direct  the  pupils,  if  you  will  avail 
yourself  of  some  of  the  excellent  manuals  at  your 
command. 

I  quote  the  following  from  Mi?id  and  Hand,  by 
Charles  H.  Ham: 

"The  value  of  drawing  as  an  educational  agency  is 
simply  incalculable.  It  is  the  first  step  in  manual 
training.  It  brings  the  eye  and  the  mind  into  relations 
of  the  closest  intimacy,  and  makes  the  hand  the  organ 
of  both.  It  trains  and  develops  the  sense  of  form  and 
proportion,  renders  the  eye  accurate  in  observation 
and  the  hand  cunning  in  execution." 

The  above  quotation  is  worthy  careful  study  and 
thought.  If  drawing  is  of  any  value  in  the  city  schools 
it  is  equally  so  in  those  of  the  country.  The  use  of 
the  hand  and  the  eye,  the  development  of  form  and 


The    Cultiv ation   of   Taste  21J 

proportion  is  essential  to  every  child.  Because  you 
teach  in  a  school  in  which  there  is  no  special  teacher 
of  drawing  is  all  the  stronger  reason  why  you  should 
make  yourself  as  nearly  perfect  as  possible  in  this 
branch.  Even  though  drawing  is  not  in  the  course  of 
study  and  you  are  not  required  to  teach  it,  it  still 
remains  true  that  the  possession  of  this  art  will  be  of 
great  assistance  to  you  in  your  daily  work. 

Drawing  widens  the  child's  power  of  self-expression 
and  makes  him  a  more  complete  master  of  himself. 
It  has  a  vocabulary  of  its  own  which  the  child  must 
have  at  his  finger's  ends  to  fit  him  for  the  greatest  use- 
fulness in  life. 

The  introduction  of  singing  lessons  into  the  public 
school  marks  an  important  step  in  educational  prog- 
ress. P.  A.  Barnett  says  this:  "To  put  it  Sinp-ine- 
on  its  lowest  ground  it  is  a  fine  physical 
exercise;  it  cultivates  very  directly  a  sense  of  commu- 
nity and  common  endeavor,  and  it  is  a  very  powerful 
means  of  stimulating  strong  sentiment  on  wholesome 
lines." 

Rightly  conducted,  it  is  an  eifficient  aid  in  school 
government.  In  a  large  western  city  a  prominent 
lawyer  made  an  attack  on  music  in  the  schools  as  a 
useless  and  costly  fad.  The  same  day  the  supervisor 
of  music  told  me  that  if  the  gentleman  would  go  with 
her  she  would  show  him  an  entire  school,  of  five 
rooms,  almost  made  over  from  rough,  disorderly 
pupils  into  quiet,  orderly,  and  obedient  boys  and 
girls.  She  added,  "The  teachers  attribute  the  change 
to  the  softening,  chastening  influence  of  the  music 
lessons."  Other  teachers,  since  then,  have  verified 
to  me  the  statement  that  they  avail  themselves  of 
the  same  means  in  governing  difficiit  schools. 


2i8  Common   Sense  Didac tics 

The  person  who  can  sing  is  more  at  home  in  the 
church  which  he  attends,  and  in  the  social  circle. 
In  every  walk  of  life  it  ministers  to  his  enjoyment  and 
adds  to  his  usefulness.  Perhaps  you  cannot  sing;  you 
say  you  have  neither  ear  nor  voice.  Where  there  is  a 
will  there  is  a  way.  You  can  at  least  learn  to  read 
music.  You  can  always  find  in  your  school  some  older 
pupil  who  will  assist  you  if  you  are  really  in  earnest 
in  your  efforts. 

Do  not  make  the  blunder,  however,  of  mistaking 
noise  for  music.  It  is  not  a  good  plan  to  allow  sing- 
ing the  first  thing  after  an  intermission.  Rather  let 
the  children  sit  in  perfect  quiet  until  the  circulation 
becomes  normal  and  the  heart  ceases  to  throb  vio- 
lently, as  it  does  after  exercise  at  recess,  and  then  let 
them  go  directly  to  their  books.  For  a  singing  exer- 
cise the  period  before  recess  is  much  better  than  the 
one  directly  after. 

Be  sure  that  you  appreciate  the  importance  of  the 
singing  lesson.  It  will  help  you  very  much  if  you  can 
have  some  musical  instrument  in  your  schoolroom. 
Perhaps  among  your  pupils  there  is  one  who  has  a  fine 
voice,  or  one  who  can  play  the  violin  or  the  piano 
with  rare  skill.  Avail  yourself  of  the  aid  of  such  pupils 
occasionally  in  making  music  popular  in  the  school. 

If  you  can  do  this  successfully,  you  will  have  less 
occasion  to  worry  over  unruly  pupils  and  more  strength 
and  zeal  in  the  work  of  instruction  in  all  branches. 

An  old  lady  who  was  asked  what  was  the  best  thing 

her  mother  did  for  her,  replied:     "She  taught  me  to 

love  beautiful  things.  All  my  life,  although 

one  usion.    j    hgy^   seen   sorrow   and    trouble     I    have 

seemed    to  dwell   in   a  garden  of  roses.      Under    the 

tuition  of  my  mother  I   learned  to   interpret  the  Ian- 


The    C2cltivatio7i  of  Taste  2ig 

guage  of  flowers  and  the  love  songs  of  the  birds. 
Since  then  I  have  traveled  in  foreign  lands.  I  have 
caught  the  inspiration  which  comes  when  standing  in 
the  presence  of  the  great  masterpieces  of  painting  and 
sculpture,  but  I  have  rejoiced  more  at  the  glimpse  of 
a  beautiful  landscape,  or  at  the  sight  of  the  white- 
washed cottages,  or  the  fruitful  fields  kept  by  the 
peasantry  of  the  land,  because  there  I  find  the  beauty 
which  blesses  the  humblest  lot.  This  sense  of  the 
beautiful  which  my  mother  implanted  has  been  a 
source  of  strength  and  comfort,  and  daily  I  thank  her 
for  it." 

Try  these  things  if  you  have  not  already  done  so;  if 
you  have  commenced  the  good  work,  persevere  in  it 
day  by  day  and  week  by  week.  You  will  do  a  blessed 
work  for  the  children  in  your  school  if  you  can  con- 
vince them  that 

Beautiful  Gates  Are  for  Beautiful  Things. 

Quotations  Worth  Reading 

the  country  school. 

Free  Schools. — In  a  social  and  political  sense  it  is  a  free  school 
system.  It  knows  no  distinction  of  rich  and  poor,  of  bond  and 
free,  or  between  those  who,  in  the  imperfect  light  of  this  world, 
are  seeking  through  different  avenues  to  reach  the  gate  of 
Heaven.  Without  money  and  without  price  it  throws  open  its 
doors  and  spreads  the  table  of  its  bounty  for  all  the  children  of 
the  State.  Like  the  sun,  it  shines  not  only  upon  the  good,  but 
upon  the  evil,  that  they  may  become  good;  and,  like  the  rain,  its 
blessings  descend  not  only  upon  the  just  but  upon  the  unjust,  that 
their  injustice  may  depart  from  them  and  be  known  no  more. 

—Horace  Mann. 

Still  sits  the  schoolhouse  by  the  road, 

A  ragged  beggar  sunning: 
Around  it  still  the  sumachs  grow 

And  blackberry  vines  are  running. 

—J.  G.   Whittier. 

The  tendency  of  primary  education  has  been  to  lead  the  coun- 
try youth  away  from  the  farm  instead  of  helping  him  in  the  study 


220  Common   Sense   Didactics 

of  those  sciences  relating  to  production.  It  would  be  politic  and 
patriotic  to  incorporate  into  the  farm  youth's  education  some 
knowledge  that  shall  bear  more  directly  upon  his  future  life  and 
work. 

—Secretary  James  IVtlson. 

The  day  for  plain  talking  is  at  hand.  The  exigencies  of  the 
times  demand  it.  All  over  the  land  are  school  grounds  bare, 
dreary  and  desolate,  without  a  tree  to  shelter  the  children  from 
the  winter's  blast  or  the  summer's  sun.  Schoolhouses  ill-venti- 
lated, unattractive  and  repulsive.  Outhouses  with  doors  off  the 
hinges,  clapboards  off  the  sides,  defiled  and  defaced,  a  disgrace 
to  a  civilized  community.  Teachers  working  for  a  mere  pittance, 
with  no  adequate  conception  of  the  true  nature  of  their  work, 
charged  with  training  the  future  citizens  of  the  republic.  O 
women  of  the  state,  O  mothers  of  a  coming  race,  remember  that 

"The  child's  sob  in  the  silence  curses  deeper 
Than  the  strong  man  in  his  wrath," 

Would  you  work  for  God,  would  you  work  for  Christ,  would 
you  work  for  your  country,  would  you  work  for  humanity?  God 
in  his  wonderful  providence  has  brought  his  work  and  laid  it 
down  at  your  very  doors;  it  is  in  your  home;  it  is  in  your  family; 
it  is  in  the  school  which  your  child  attends. 

— From  an  Address  to  Teachers. 
TASTE  FOR  THE  BEAUTIFUL. 

A  thing  of  beauty  is  a  joy  forever. 

—Keats. 

A  taste  for  all  things  beautiful  is  a  taste  for  all  things  good, 

—Old  Saying. 

As  thrills  of  long-hushed  tone 
Live  in  the  viol,  so  our  souls  grow  fine 
With  keen  vibrations  from  the  touch  divine 

Of  noble  natures  gone. 

—James  Russell  Lowell. 

The  lovely  things  men  build  in  the  days  of  strength  are  but  the 
reproduction  of  the  lovely  thoughts  that  were  whispered  in  their 
hearts  in  the  days  of  tender  youth. 

—SiUcUd. 
DECORA  TIONS. 

The  sink,  porcelain  lined  to  prevent  rust,  is  3  feet  long  by 
i^  feet  wide.  The  water  pipe  conducts  to  the  exterior  of  the 
building.  The  statuary  ana  plants  were  placed  there  by  the 
teachers.  It  makes  a  very  attractive  drinking  place  where  good 
pure  water  is  secured.  The  cost  for  tank  and  sink  was  $12. 
Most  district  schoolhouses  I  am  acquainted  with  have  a  small 
passage  way  at  the  entrance  where  a  tank  and  sink  may  be 
placed,   thus  taking  the  water  out  of    the  schoolroom    proper. 


TJie    Cultivation   of  Taste  221 

Even  if  the  tank  and  sink  must  be  put  in  one  corner  of  the 
schoolroom  it  can  be  screened  with  a  curtain ;  either  way  is  infinitely 
superior  to  the  open  pail  among  dinner  pails,  wraps,  overshoes, 
broom,  washpan,  fragments  of  lunch,  etc. 

The  tank  should  have  fresh  water  twnce  a  day  at  least  and 
always  be  emptied  at  night,  so  there  would  be  no  danger  of 
freezing  in  cold  weather. 

—Stiggestions  by  O.  J.  Kern. 

Flow^ers  should  abound  in  the  schoolhouse  grounds.  They  are 
among  the  best  educators,  for  they  develop  taste  and  a  love  for 
the  beautiful,  and  make  men  sensitive  to  the  attractive  and 
lovely,  in  town  or  country,  in  field  or  forest.  .  .  .  The  young 
farmer  attending  the  district  school  could  readily  be  taught  what 
a  plant  gets  from  the  soil  and  what  it  gets  from  the  air.  The 
several  grasses  could  be  planted  and  their  office  in  filling  the  soil 
with  humus,  enabhng  the  soil  to  retain  moisture,  could  be 
explained.  The  legumes — peas,  beans,  clover  and  alfalfa — could 
be  grown  in  the  schoolhouse  yard,  and  during  recess  or  at  the 
noon  hour  the  teacher  could  interest  the  students  by  digging  up  a 
young  pea  or  clover  root  and  showing  the  nodules,  whose  office  is 
to  bring  the  free  nitrogen  from  the  atmosphere  and  fix  it  in 
the  soil. 

— Secretary  James  Wilson . 

The  planting  of  a  sapling  is  a  trifle  in  expense.  There  it  grows 
and  costs  nothing  but  time.  Every  tree  is  a  feather  in  the  earth's 
cap — a  plume  in  her  bonnet — a  tress  upon  her  forehead.  It  is  a 
comfort,  an  ornament,  a  refreshing  to  the  people.  It  is  a  virtue 
to  set  out  trees.  It  is  loving  one's  neighbor  as  we  love  ourselves. 
Set  out  trees,  not  to  make  your  home  outshine  your  neighbor's, 
but  for  him  to  look  at  and  walk  under  and  to  beautify  God's  earth, 
which  He  clothes  with  trees. 
—Nathaniel  Peabody  Rogers,  ''Herald  of  Freedom,"  Concord,  N.  H.,  Aug.  6, 1841. 

The  environment  of  the  child  may  be  made  a  permanent  influ- 
ence in  moulding  taste.  The  colours  of  the  walls  and  the  wall 
decorations  should  be  artistic ;  both  school  furniture,  decorations 
and  the  building  itself  should  be  marked  by  proportion  and  sim- 
plicity of  design ;  the  school  should  be  clean  and  bright;  the  furni- 
ture orderly  arranged;  the  teacher's  dress  in  good  taste.  The 
presence  of  a  few  plants  and  flowers  also  has  a  refining  influence, 
and  speaking  generally  the  addition  of  anything  that  is  pretty, 
graceful  or  attractive  should  be  utilized.  Owing  to  the  plastic 
nature  of  the  children  these  first  impressions  are  very  important. 

— Dexter  and  Gar  lick. 

Children  are  quick  to  notice  contrasts  and  to  make  comparisons. 
They  will  compare  their  dusty,  dirty,  dingy,  smoke-begrimed 
schoolhouse,  with  its  broken  plaster,  rust\'  stove  and  rough  knot- 
protruding  floors,  its  broken,  rattle-trap  desks  and  dirty  windows, 


222  Com?no?i   Sense  Didactics 

with  their  mother's  clean,  neat,  tidy  kitchen,  with  their  parents' 
homes  where  comforts  and  conveniences  are  multiplying,  where 
plate  glass  windows,  cedar  trees  and  other  evidences  of  prosperity 
and  care  and  forethought  attract  one's  eye  as  he  drives  from  one 
schoolhouse  to  another. 

—  Wm.  K.  Fowler, 
DRA  WING. 

A  help  to  see  the  picture  which  the  sentence  suggests  is  the 
picturing  with  the  pencil.  The  imagination  works  more  defi- 
nitely, and  the  words  grow  to  have  definite  meaning,  as  the  child 
pictures  his  thought.  This  suggests  profitable  busy- work  for 
primary  grades. 

— Sarah  L.  Arnold. 

Allow  pupils  from  the  beginning  to  attempt  drawing  from  real 
objects  instead  of  from  pictures  on  the  flat.  Drawing  a  leaf  from 
the  flat  copy  is  only  a  makeshift  compared  with  sketching  the 
outline  of  a  real  leaf  placed  on  the  desk  right  before  the  eyes  of 
the  child. 

—John  Swett. 
SINGING. 

Plato  said:  "Music  is  a  moral  law.  It  gives  a  soul  to  the 
universe,  flight  to  the  imagination,  a  charm  to  sadness,  gayety 
and  life  to  everything.  It  is  the  essence  of  order  and  leads  to  all 
that  is  good,  just  and  beautiful."  Luther  said:  "Music  is  one 
of  the  ^st  arts.  It  drives  away  sadness,  quickens  and  refreshes 
the  heart.  It  is  half  the  discipline,  and  makes  men  more  gentle, 
more  modest  and  sensible.  A  schoolmaster  must  know  how  to 
sing,  else  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  him,"  Mr.  Gladstone  is 
quoted  as  saying:  "They  who  think  music  ranks  among  the 
trifles  of  existence  are  in  gross  error,  because  from  the  beginning 
of  the  world  down  to  the  present  time  it  has  been  one  of  the  most 
forcible  instruments  both  for  training  and  arousing  and  for  gov- 
erning the  spirit  of  man." 

—F.  F.  Churchill. 

Teach  the  children  to  sing  our  national  hymns.  And  when 
they  sing  "The  Star  Spangled  Banner"  or  "America"  the  entire 
school  should  stand  as  a  token  of  patriotism. 

— From  an  Address. 

The  highest  results  cannot  be  reached,  especially  with  children 
who  do  not  hear  good  music  outside  of  the  school,  unless  the 
instructor  or  other  persons  interested  provide  for  the  occasional 
execution  of  good  music  in  the  schoolroom.  This  is  consistent 
with  the  idea  consistently  stated  that  the  development  of  the 
musical  sense  and  the  ability  to  enjoy  music  is  not  second  in  impor- 
tance to  the  power  to  execute,  considered  in  its  general  applica- 
tion, inasmuch  as  while  few  will  attain  such  skill  in  the  rendition 
of  music  it  is  desirable  that  here  in  America,  as  in  Germany,  all 
the  people  become  lovers  of  music. 

-S".  T.  Dutton. 


The    Cultivatio7i  of  Taste  22^ 

Questions  for  Examination 

1.  What  do  you  understand  by  the  term  Nature  Study? 

2.  How  is  patriotism  best  taught? 

J.  What  ends  are  to  be  kept  in  mind  in  temperance  instruction? 
4.  What  reasons  may  be  given  for  the  introduction  of  singing 

as  a  study  in  our  schools? 
jr.  In  training  children  what  use  can  be  made  of  their  natural 

love  for  the  beautiful? 

6.  Describe  an  ideal  schoolhouse  and  grounds, 

7.  Contrast  two  schoolrooms ;  one  decorated  and  one  undeco- 

rated, 

8.  What  value  has  drawing  as  a  branch  to  be  taught? 

9.  Speak  of  music  as  an  aid  in  school  discipline. 

10.  What  ought  the  country  school  to  do  for  the  boy  on  the  farm? 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

/.  Who  was  Col.  Francis  W.  Parker? 

2.  How  far  can  a  person  who  has  neither  voice  nor  ear  teach 

music? 
J.  Are  you  afraid  of  fads? 
4.  Am  I  willing  to  expend  a  little  of  my  salary  in  decorating 

my  schoolroom? 
J".  Am  I  careful  to  recognize  in  any  pupil  a   sense  of  beauty 

and  harmony  as  seen,  for  instance,  in  the  arrangement  of 

a  bouquet  of  wild  flowers? 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  RECITATION 

The  Life  of  the  School 

A  good  recitation  is  one  of  the  best  tests  of  the  pupil's  moral 
character.     It  gives  him  an  opportunity  to  describe  himself. 

-William  T.Harris. 

A  good  recitation  is  the  real  test  of  the  school.  It  shows,  as  in 
a  mirror,  the  interest,  skill  and  information  of  the  teacher,  and 
the  work  done  by  the  pupils. 

— George  Howland. 

Give  laggards  and  dullards  a  chance.  After  a  pupil  has  made 
two  or  three  failures  call  on  another  pupil  to  do  the  work,  but  do 
not  forget  to  give  the  one  who  made  the  failure  another  trial. 

—J.  N.  Patrick. 

Good  methods  of  teaching  are  important,  but  they  cannot 
supply  the  want  of  ability  in  the  teacher.  The  Socratic  method 
is  good,  but  a  Socrates  behind  the  teacher's  desk  to  ask  questions 
is  better. 

—  Thomas  M.  Balliet. 

^^r^HERE  ar^  three  factors  concerned  in  the  recita- 

.1       tion:  the  lesson,  the  class,  the  instructor. 

The  lesson  may  be  too  difficult,  or  not  adapted  to 

the  present  wants  of  the  class;  the  pupils  may  be  dull, 

or  willfully  idle;  the  teacher  may  be  too 

recitation.      learned,  or  too  ignorant,  or  indifferent;  and 

the  recitation  fails   from  one   or   more  of 

these  causes.      In  fact,  at  times  all   these  faults   are 

plainly  to  be  noted  as  the  cause  of  an  insufferably  dull 

recitation. 

Let  us  note  these  factors  in  the  order  named. 
It  is  vain   for  us  to  talk  of  discarding  text-books. 
The  main  point  is  to  know  how  to  use  them  so  as  to 
get  the  most  out  of  them  for  the  class.     In  assigning 


TJie  Recitation  22^ 

the  lesson  upon  which  the  recitation  is  to  be  based,  the 
teacher  should  have  regard:  (a)  to  the  age  and  ability 
of  the  pupils  in  the  class;  (b)  to  the  diffi-  j-j ,  j 
culties  which  will  need  careful  study  and 
explanation;  (c)  to  the  amount  of  mechanical  work 
required,  as  solving  examples  or  preparing  manu- 
script; and  (d)  to  the  number  and  length  of  other 
lessons  which  the  pupil  must  prepare. 

The  last  two  points  should  have  more  attention  than 
they  usually  receive.  Sometimes  the  arithmetic  lesson 
embraces  one  or  two  pages  of  examples,  and  the  work 
must  be  brought  in  on  paper.  The  examples  are  very 
easy,  but  it  takes  time  to  solve  them.  A  long  history 
lesson  is  assigned,  without  regard  to  other  work.  In 
schools  in  which  special  teachers  are  employed,  pupils 
often  have  a  right  to  complain:  "She  doesn't  seem  to 
think  we  have  any  other  lessons  to  learn."  Other 
matters,  also,  must  be  taken  into  account,  such  as  the 
physical  conditions  of  the  class  and  the  amount  of 
home  duties  which  parents  may  rightfully  exact  from 
their  children.  In  fact,  the  assignment  of  lessons 
demands  a  careful  adjustment  of  requirements  to  the 
conditions  of  home  and  school  life. 

After  listening  to  the  attempts  of  a  class  to  recite 
and  noting  the  failure  of  the  majority  to  comprehend, 
in  the  slightest  degree,  the  subject  of  the  lesson,  I 
heard  the  teacher  say:  "You  may  take  to  the  middle 
of  page  ninety-five  next  time.  The  class  is  excused." 
At  recess  I  purposely  drew  the  teacher  into  a  conver- 
sation upon  the  assignment  of  lessons,  and  she 
explained  the  machine  to  me  in  this  way: 

"Our  term's  work  is  from  page  Ii6  to  page  226.  I 
divided  the  number  of  pages,  no,  by  12,  the  weeks  in 
the  term.     Then  I  divided  this  by  the  number  of  school 

15 


226  Contmo7i   Sense  Didactics 

days  in  the  week,  and  that  gave  me  the  average  length 
of  the  lesson."  "How  long  have  you  followed  this 
practice?"  "Ever  since  I  have  been  in  this  grade — 
three  years."  "Do  you  mean  to  say  that  the  lesson 
assigned  to  your  class  to-day  is  exactly  the  same  as 
you  assigned  your  class  a  year  ago?"  "Why,  certainly 
it  is.  This  book  goes  out  at  Christmas  to  make  room 
for  another  study." 

Oh,  the  terrible  machine;  how  it  grinds  on  and  on, 
crushing  the  children  between  its  merciless  cogs,  in  the 
meanwhile  stifling  thought  and  killing  enthusiasm  in 
the  poor  teacher  who  is  forced  to  turn  the  crank! 

Whatever  day 
Makes  man  a  slave,  takes  half  his  worth  away. 

I  have  dwelt  at  some  length  upon  this  point  because 
it  is  so  seldom  brought  to  the  notice  of  teachers.  A 
wise  determination  in  the  quantity  of  matter  assigned 
for  each  lesson  is  one  criterion  of  a  thoughtful  teacher. 
I  have  named  the  details  to  be  considered  in  assigning 
the  lessons.  They  are  worthy  of  careful  thought  and 
attention. 

There  are  two  conditions  under  which  the  lesson  may 

be  re-assigned.     First,  if  it  is  evident  that  the  pupils 

„         .  have  not  made  an  honest  attempt  to  master 

Re-assign-      .  .     ^  , 

7ne7it  of  it,  they  may  be  sent  to  their  seats  with  a 
lesson.  reprimand  more  or  less  severe,  as  circum- 

stances demand.  In  no  case  should  the  pupils  be 
allowed  to  make  use  of  the  teacher  as  a  crutch,  by  the 
aid  of  which  to  hobble  over  the  ground. 

Second,  the  same  lesson  may  be  assigned  for  farther 
study,  after  the  explanations  given  by  the  teacher  have 
thrown  additional  light  upon  some  difficult  points 
which  proved  to  be  beyond  the  pupils'  ability  to  con- 
quer without  help.     In  many  cases  the  period  allotted 


TJie  Recitation  ^^J 

to  the  recitation  may  be  profitably  spent  in  explana- 
tions and  suggestions,  and  in  carefully  working  as  a 
member  of  the  class — a  class  leader,  as  it  were — espe- 
cially when  the  subject  seems  very  intricate  or  dr}^ 
But  the  recitation,  when  repeated,  should  be  the  work 
of  the  individual  pupil,  and  should  determine  how 
much  he  has  profited  by  your  assistance.  The  aim 
should  be  to  aid  the  pupil  in  the  direction  of  more 
intelligent  study  of  the  lesson. 

The  second  factor  is  the  pupils,  or  the  class  to  be 
instructed.     The  pupils  in  the  class  must  be  convinced 

that  a  g-ood   recitation  is  their  Sfain,  and  a      ^,      , 

^ ,       .         .  .  to        '  xji^  class. 

poor  recitation  is  their  loss.  They  must 
comprehend  still  further  that  a  competent  recitation  is 
always  the  fruit  of  diligent  and  intelligent  study  on 
their  part.  I  use  the  word  intclligeiit  designedly,  as 
you  will  see  when  you  read  what  I  have  to  say  in  dis- 
cussing the  next  pC)int. 

A  recitation  is  simply  a  reproduction  of  that  which 
the  pupil  has  acquired  and  retains  in  his  mind.  There 
is  nothing  complicated  about  it.  It  requires  an  appli- 
cation of  attention,  .memory,  and  expression.  The 
character  of  the  recitation  will  vary  with  the  develop- 
ment of  these  qualities  in  the  mind  of  the  individual 
pupil.  One  pupil  will  give  you  a  memoriter  recitation,, 
and  another  will  give  the  recitation  in  his  own  words. 
Which  one  understands  the  lesson  the  best  you  can 
determine  for  yourself  when  the  recitation  is  over. 

The  practice  of  letting  pupils  question  each  other 
during  the  recitation  and  ask  for  explanations  from 
their  fellows  has  much  to  commend  it,  especially  in 
the  upper  grades.  It  induces  thought,  and  adds  to  the 
pupil's  power  of  expressing  his  ideas.  Under  such  a 
drill   the  habit,  which  so  many  form,  of  learning  the 


228  Com?no7i   Se?ise  Didactics 

very  words  of  the  book  will  disappear  as  the  incentives 
to  originality  increase. 

The  recitation  should  do  four  things  for  the  pupil: 
{a)  It  should  determine  his  knowledge  as  obtained 
from  the  book  used  by  the  class;  (b)  it  should  be  the 
means  of  making  clear  to  him  points  which  need 
explanation;  (c)  it  should  convey  to  him  information 
not  in  his  book;  (d)  it  should  afford  him  the  medium 
of  measuring  himself  with  his  fellows. 

Individual   instruction   has   its  advantages,  but  class 

instruction    is    superior   as   an    agent   for    awakening 

,  ,.  . .  ,  interest  and  inciting  to  exertion.  Yet  a 
Indtvtdual  ° 

and  class  large  amount  of  personal  mstruction  must 
instruction.  ^^  given  in  every  good  school.  The  lazy 
must  be  stimulated,  the  indolent  aroused,  and  the 
dullard  encouraged  and  aided  in  his  efforts  to  keep 
up  with  his  class.  In  a  large  class  there  is  little  oppor- 
tunity during  the  recitation  for  work  with  individual 
pupils.  To  attempt  it  is  to  throw  the  class  into  dis- 
order and  to  cultivate  habits  of  inattention  on  the  part 
of  the  brighter  pupils.  You  must  not  neglect  personal 
instruction,  but  how  and  when  to  give  it  must  be  deter- 
mined by  circumstances. 

Sometimes  an  older  or  more  mature  pupil  may  be 
called  to  your  rescue,  with  advantage  to  all  concerned. 
Upon  this  point  Dr.  Harris  says,  in  the  Report  of  the 
Committee  of  Twelve  upon  Rural  Schools:  "Limited 
entirely  to  ungraded  schools  and  to  teachers  with  dis- 
ciplinary power,  the  older  pupils  may  profitably  be 
employed  to  help  in  the  work  of  the  school.  But  they 
should  not  take  up  any  work  continuously — it  should 
be  occasional,  inasmuch  as  every  thread  of  the  school 
work  must  come  under  the  eye  of  the  schoolmaster. 
If  he  has  asked  an  older  pupil  to  explain  a  point  in 


The  Recitation  22Q 

arithmetic  to  a  dull  pupil,  the  latter  will  show  the 
degree  of  efficiency  of  that  help  in  the  first  recitation 
after  it." 

The  limitation  made  by  Dr.  Harris  to  ungraded 
schools  may  be  removed  in  cases  in  which  the  number 
of  pupils  in  the  class  is  unreasonably  large,  ^v"^/  limited 
as  it  is  in  many  of  our  smaller  tow^ns  and  totmgraded 

...  T  1-1       ^u-      •  schools. 

cities.     1  once  saw  a   case    like    this    in   a 

large    school:      The    class    in    arithmetic    was    at    the 

board.     After   the    teacher   had    explained    a   typical 

example  to  the   pupils  they  turned  to  the  board  for 

work.     One  little  girl  seemed  hopelessly  confused;  she 

was  slow  in  her  comprehension.     The  teacher  said  to 

a  little  boy  who  had  finished  his  work:     "John,  May  is 

in  trouble;  see  if  you  can't  help  her."     John  stepped 

quietly  to   May's   side;  they  conversed   in   low  tones 

until  the  example  was  finished,  and   he  returned  to  his 

place.     The  puzzled  expression  passed  from  the  girl's 

face,  and  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  recitation 

she  had  no  difficulty  in   her  work.     Sometimes  a  child 

can  help  a  child  better  even  than  the  teacher  can. 

The  remaining  factor  is  the  teacher.     (Seepage   12.) 

Time  should  be  given,  near  the  close  of  the  recitation, 

to  prepare  for  that  of  the  next  day.     This   ^,    ,      , 

^     ^    .  ...  The  teacher. 

preparation  should  consist  in  pointing  out 

those  items  which  may  likely  need  especial  study,  and 

sometimes   in   giving  a  partial   explanation  of  them. 

The  effort  should  be  made  by  the  teacher  to  show  the 

connection  between  the  lesson  just  recited  and  the  one 

to  follow.     When  the  pupils  of  the  class  go  to  their 

seats,  they  should  have  fixed  in  the  mind  a  definite 

idea  of  what  will  be  expected  of  them  to-morrow. 

This  will  lead  to  that  intelligent  study  to  which  I 

referred  in  a  preceding  paragraph.    (See  page  18.)    To 


2J0  C o7nmon   Sense  Didactics 

study  intelligently  is  to  have  constantly  in  mind  an 
aim,  a  purpose,  an  ability  to  accomplish  the  end 
sought.  It  is  a  part  of  your  legitimate  work  to  prevent 
aimless  study.  This  you  can  best  do  by  directions 
and  suggestions  tending  to  concentrate  attention  upon 
the  most  important  or  material  parts  of  the  lesson. 

The  best  method  for  you  to  use  in  any  recitation  is 
that  by  which  you  can  awaken  the  greatest  interest  in 
the  subject.  The  method  must  be  adapted  to  the  per- 
sonality of  the  class.  In  the  first  place,  study  the  sub- 
ject; then  study  the  class  individually  and  in  the  aggre- 
gate, and  methods  will  suggest  themselves.  It  is 
rarely  that  a  student  of  devices  only  is  a  good 
instructor.  Our  text-books  are  full  of  devices 
designed  to  lessen  the  work  of  the  teacher  and  to 
hasten  the  progress  of  the  pupil.  But  it  is  just  as  nec- 
essary that  the  teacher  should  think  as  it  is  that  the 
pupil  should.  This  multiplication  of  devices  does 
more  than  any  other  thing  to  give  us  rote  teachers, 
who  take  the  road  the  guide-board  points  out,  and 
who  are  lost  at  once  if  the  guide-board  is  missing.  A 
blind,  persistent  study  of  devices  in  the  school,  and  at 
the  institute,  destroys  the  germs  of  originality  on  the 
part  of  the  teacher.  This  in  turn  prevents  the  devel- 
opment of  his  individuality,  and  quenches  the  teaching 
spirit.     (See  page  13.) 

It  is  essential  to  a  good  recitation  that  the  teacher 
should  be  a  leader  in  thought.  He  has  the  advantage 
of  superior  knowledge;  he  sees  the  essential  parts  of 
the  lesson  more  clearly,  and  has  a  mind  better  trained 
to  observe,  compare,  and  conclude.  But  this  must 
not  prevent  him  from  being  a  co-worker  with  the 
class.  The  best  teacher  is  a  member,  for  the  time 
being,   of    his  class,    enters    into   all    difficulties,   and 


The  Recitation  2ji 

rejoices  in  every  success.      "I   am  with  you,"  is  won- 
derfully stimulating  to  the  pupils. 

Teach   the   pupil   the   art   of  study,  and   everything 
besides    becomes    easy   to    him.     But   to  do   this  you 
must  sometimes  study  withh\n\\  never /or      ^      ,  , , 
him.     In  difficult  places  you  may  go  before      art  of 
him  with  a  lantern,  but  never  behind  him      ^tudy. 
with  a  whip.     If  he  slips,  help  him  to   rise;  if  he  mis- 
takes, set  him   right;  if  he  becomes  discouraged,  lend 
him   a   helping  hand;    but  do  not   carry  him   in  your 
arms,    lest    you    make    a   child    of   him;    and   do   not 
reprove  him  too  severely,  or  chide  his  dullness,  lest 
you  make  him  a  slave. 

Read  what  Roger  Ascham,  an  old  English  school- 
master, says:  "When  the  child  doeth  well,  either  in 
the  choosing  or  true  placing  of  his  words,  let  the 
master  praise  him,  and  say,  'Here  ye  do  well!'  For  I 
assure  you  there  is  no  such  whetstone  to  sharpen  a 
good  wit,  and  encourage  a  will  to  learning  as  is  praise. 
But  if  the  child  miss,  either  in  forgetting  a  word,  or  in 
changing  a  good  with  a  worse,  or  misordering  the 
sentence,  I  would  not  have  the  master  frown,  or  chide 
with  him,  if  the  child  have  done  his  diligence  and  used 
no  truantship.  For  I  know,  by  good  experience,  that 
a  child  shall  take  more  profit  of  two  faults  gently 
warned  of,  than  of  four  things  rightly  hit."  (See 
page  170.) 

The  teacher  who  understands  the  true  nature  of  the 
recitation  will  readily  see  the  necessity  of  becoming  a 
good  listener.     Let  the  child  finish  what  he  Teacher 

has  to  say  in  answer  to  a  question,  and  do         a  good 
not  interrupt  him  with  hints  or  suggestions. 
The  proper  time  for  the  teacher  is  when  the  pupil  is 
through.     Neither  should  pupils  be  allowed  to  inter- 


2J2  Co7nnioii   Sense   Didactics 

rupt  each  other  in  reciting.  Here  is  a  splendid  oppor- 
tunity to  inculcate  good  breeding.  Nothing  is  more 
awkward  and  nothing  can  be  more  embarrassing  than 
for  one  person  to  interrupt  another  in  conversation. 

The  pupil  should  not  be  able  to  judge  of  his  work 
from  any  indication  on  the  part  of  the  teacher  or  mem- 
bers of  the  class,  until  he  has  completed  his  answer. 
Any  other  course  tends  to  confuse  him,  to  hinder  him 
from  giving  clear  expression  to  his  thoughts,  and  to 
destroy  his  confidence  in  his  own  ability.  If  the 
progress  of  the  class  as  a  whole  seems  slow  and  unsat- 
isfactory, do  not  let  the  pupils  think  that  you  are  dis- 
couraged. Nothing  so  disheartens  a  class  as  a  dispiri- 
ted teacher. 

One  part  of  the  teacher's  work  is  to  hear  the  recita- 
tion, and  it  is  the  part  of  the  pupils  to  make  the  best 
recitation  possible  under  the  circumstances.  Expla- 
nations, suggestions,  questions,  fuller  information, 
should  come  at  the  appropriate  time  after  the  pupil 
has  been  tested  as  to  the  amount  of  preparation  he  has 
made.  Dr.  Harris  says  that  "a  good  recitation — a 
class  recitation — enables  the  teacher  to  show  each 
pupil  how  his  lesson  that  he  has  worked  on  looks  in 
the  minds  of  his  fellow  pupils,  so  that  he  learns  just 
as  much  by  hearing*his  fellows  recite  as  by  reciting 
himself;  and  if  there  is  no  text-book,  that  cannot  be 
done."  As  he  progresses,  however,  the  pupil  ought 
to  gather  this  knowledge  of  how  the  subject  looks 
to  others  in  the  class,  without  directions  from  the 
teacher. 

This  suggestion  from  Dr.  Harris  is  very  wise  and 
exceedingly  practical.  To  be  able  to  look  at  questions 
from  the  standpoint  of  others  is  a  valuable  acquisition, 
and  sometimes  it  is  a  safeguard  against  drawing  wrong 


The  Recitation  2jj 

inferences  or  arriving  at  unwarranted  conclusions.  It 
makes  the  man  more  charitable  and  more  tolerant  of 
the  stand  taken  by  others.  The  recitation,  if  rightly 
conducted,  affords,  with  older  pupils,  an  opportunity 
to  inculcate  an  honest  respect  for  the  opinions  of  their 
fellows,  which  will  follow  them  into  after  life. 

What  then  is  the  purpose  of  the  recitation?  How  may 
the  recitation  be  made  to  subserve  its  purpose?  Those 
two  questions  must  naturally  be  discussed  Prepara. 
together,  as  each  depends  so  largely  upon  tw7i. 
the  other.  To  recite  is  to  rename,  or  recall.  I  cannot 
recite  that  of  which  I  have  no  knowledge.  The  first  step, 
then,  is  that  of  preparation.  The  recitation  is  to  be  con- 
fined to  the  matter  contained  in  a  certain  number  of 
pages,  or  matter  grouped  under  a  given  topic.  The  pupil 
is  to  recite,  or  recall,  all  that  he  has  been  able  to  gather 
from  these  pages.  The  recitation  exercises  his  mem- 
ory, his  expression,  his  ability  to  reproduce  in  his 
own  words  the  thoughts  of  others,  his  powers  of  con- 
centration, and  his  habit  of  attention. 

A  good  recitation  embracing  all  these  points  is  the 
result  of  right  habits  of  study.  Without  diligent 
study  of  the  lesson  on  the  part  of  the  pupils  there 
can  be  no  good  recitation.  Consequently,  the  teacher 
who  refuses  to  hear  a  recitation  which  the  pupils  have 
not  attempted  to  prepare  has  a  correct  understanding 
of  the  situation.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  certain 
duties  connected  with  the  recitation  appertain  to  the 
teacher.  Preparation  from  the  teaching  standpoint  is 
most  desirable.  To  study  a  lesson  with  the  view  of 
teaching  it  to  a  class  is  very  different  from  studying  it 
with  the  view  of  reciting  it  iii  the  class. 

Here  is  the  point  of  failure,  many  times.  The 
teacher    is    prepared     to    recite,   and   does    recite   for 


2^4  Common    Sense    Didactics 

the  pupil  when  he  fails,  but  is  not  prepared  to  illus- 
trate, suggest,  or  explain  so  as  to  interest  the  pupil 
and  at  the  same  time  stimulate  him  to  do  his  best  for 
himself. 

The  next  time  your  class  fails  in  a  recitation  don't 
be  in  haste  to  charge  it  up  to  dullness,  or  even  to  idle- 
ness. Possibly  the  fault  is  with  you.  At  any  rate,  the 
suggestions  thrown  out  will  bear  thinking  about.  (See 
page  72.) 

It  will  be  well  for  you  to  keep  in  mind  these  three 
principles,  which  are  universally  recognized:  unity, 
thoroughness,  and  the  spirit  of  inquiry. 

The  recitation  should  not  be  a  detached  exercise,  as 

it   is   in   many  schools.     The  connection   between  the 

,^  .,  lesson  in  hand  and  those  preceding  it  should 

Unity.  ,  ,      ,      ,       o  1 

never   be   overlooked.     So,    too,    the   w^ay 

should  be  left  open  for  connecting  the  lesson  in  hand 
with  those  which  are  to  follow  it.  You  are  to  con- 
sider, not  the  unity  of  the  recitation,  but  the  unity 
of  the  subject.  Hence  the  value  of  frequent  reviews 
is  not  only  to  fix  what  was  learned  yesterday,  but  to 
aid  the  pupil  in  the  mastery  of  to-day's  lesson.  This 
element  in  conducting  the  recitation  is  seldom  called 
to  the  attention  of  teachers.  One  reason  why  pupils 
fail  in  term  examination  is  because  they  have  learned 
each  subject  by  piece-meal,  as  it  were,  and  have  no 
well-defined,  clear  conception  of  it  as  a  whole. 

The  high-school  teacher  complains  that  the  pupils 
from  the  grammar  grades  have  not  been  well  instructed; 
the  college  professor  makes  a  similar  charge  against 
the  students  who  come  from  the  high  school;  and  the 
college  graduate  finds  that  his  knowledge  is  not  avail- 
able in  active  life.  The  same  reason  applies  to  each 
case.     The  entire  process  of  instruction  has  been  frag- 


TJie  Recitation  2J^ 

mentary,  disjointed,  and  mutilated.  It  is  impossible! 
to  construct  an  enduring  conception  of  any  subject 
thus  learned  in  fragments. 

Before  the  lesson  in  hand  is  passed  by  for  the  next, 
the  pupil  should  comprehend  its  meaning  as  far  as 
possible  at  that  time.  Insist  upon  thorough-  Tkorou^/i- 
ness,  but  not  to  the  extent  of  causing  f^f^^^- 
weariness  in  the  child's  mind.  Make  sure  of  certain 
points  and  then  you  may  leave  others  to  be  cleared  up 
in  the  review,  or  even  to  be  explained  by  succeeding 
lessons.  Lay  aside  a  subject  before  you  exhaust  it  if 
3^ou  do  not  intend  to  kill  all  interest  in  it  on  the  part 
of  the  children. 

"How  far  shall  I  insist  upon  thoroughness?"  is  a 
question  to  be  answered  in  connection  with  the  ability 
of  the  pupil's  mind  to  comprehend.  Do  not  attempt 
to  measure  his  ability  by  yours.  This  wrong  idea  of 
thoroughness,  that  before  a  child  is  allowed  to  drop  a 
subject  he  must  grasp  all  its  bearings — in  fact,  under- 
stand it  as  well  as  his  teacher — has  caused  an  immense 
amount  of  waste  in  education.  Read  the  extract  from 
Hinsdale's  Art  of  Study,  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. 
It  will  help  you  to  understand  this  subject  of  thorough- 
ness in  a  practical  way. 

Thoroughness  is  often  but  another  name  for  dullness; 
and  most  irksome  dullness  at  that.  Thoroughness  in  its 
true  sense  does  not  consist  in  knowing  everything  that 
is  to  be  known  about  a  subject,  but  rather  in  knowing 
well  whatever  you  do  know.  To  attempt  to  cover  an 
entire  subject  in  a  given  time  is  really  an  enemy  to 
thoroughness.  This  practice  of  regarding  quantity 
rather  than  quality  has  led  to  overloading  courses  of 
study,  to  the  great  detriment  of  sound  learning.  The 
teacher  should  insist  upon  clear  ideas  and  clear  think- 


2j6  Common    Se?ise    Didactics 

ing  to-day,  in  order  that  there  may  be  clearer  ideas 
and  clearer  thinking  to-morrow. 

Upon  this  matter  Roark,  in  his  Methods  in  Educa- 
tion,  says:  "The  rule  of  the  first  importance  in  drill- 
ing is  that  the  interested  consciousness  of  the  pupils  must 
be  evoked  throughout  the  exercise;  mere  dull  monot- 
ony of  repetition  is  not  drill.  Gain  in  power  and  skill 
is  made  in  the  same  degree  in  which — to  use  Matthew 
Arnold's  fine  phrase — ' co?iscious?iess permeates  the  work.' 

"It  is  in  violation  of  this  rule  that  pedagogical  crimes 
are  committed  in  the  name  of  'thoroughness.'  To 
have  the  pupils  thresh  over  the  old  straw  of  their 
learning  is  not  to  secure  thoroughness.  The  strong 
distaste  for  some  studies  or  portions  of  subjects  that 
results  from  such  work  seems  to  close  the  pores  of  the 
mind,  so  to  speak,  and  thus  effectually  prevents  such  a 
'soaking  in'  of  the  matter  as  is  essential  to  true 
thoroughness.  Drill  must  be  stimulative,  not  dead- 
ening." 

The  teacher  should  seek  to  arouse  in  the  pupil's  mind 

such   a  spirit  of  inquiry,  and  of  self-activity,  that  he 

welcomes  new  ideas;  and,  through  assimila- 

Spirtt  of  tion  with  those  already  held  in  mind,  comes 
inquiry.  ,  ,  •  r    i  i  • 

at  last  to  a  comprehension  of  the  subject  as 

a  whole.  This  is  one  criterion  of  a  successful  recita- 
tion— that  the  mind  of  the  pupil  be  left  in  a  receptive 
condition,  eager  for  to-morrow's  lesson. 

The  most  alarming  feature  about  the  recitation,  as 
universally  made,  is  its  deadness.  Cold,  pulseless, 
without  the  breath  of  life  to  quicken  its  features,  it  is 
laid  away  at  its  close,  and  no  reference  is  made  to  it 
by  friend  or  foe.  The  dead  past  is  allowed  to  bury  ils 
dead.      (See  page  34-) 

The  object  of  the  recitation  is  not  simply  to  awaken 


The  Recitation  2jy 

a  transient  interest;  it  is  to  stimulate,  to  feed,  to  keep 
alive,  so  that  the  growth  of  the  mind  may  be  steady, 
progressive,  and  perpetual.  Unless  to-day's  recitation 
throws  light  upon  that  of  yesterday,  there  is  small 
hope  that  to-morrow's  lesson  will  aid  in  understanding 
that  of  to-day.  In  the  light  of  yesterday,  to-day,  and 
to-morrow,  the  recitation  should  become  a  unit. 

Study  carefully  the  following  propositions  taken 
from  the  proceedings  of  the  Wisconsin  Normal  Teach- 
er's Institute. 

"Prop.  I.  The  teacher  must  have  in  mind  a  definite 
purpose,  or  purposes,  to  be  realized  in  the  recitation. 

"Prop.  2.  He  must  have  in  mind  the  things  which 
must  be  known,  or  the  steps  which  must  be  taken,  in 
order  that  the  purpose  may  be  realized. 

"Prop.  3.  The  teacher  must  determine  what  of  these 
things  the  pupil  now  knows  or  can  do. 

"Prop.  4.  He  must  thus  determine  what  of  the 
things  indicated  under  Proposition  2  the  pupil  still  has 
to  learn  or  do,  and  the  order  in  which  they  should  be 
known  or  done." 

Other  points  must  not  be  neglected.  The  place  in  the 
room  assigned  for  the  class  to  stand   or  sit  should  be 
carefully  selected.     It  should  not  be  in  the   ^,         , 
rear  of  the  room,  because  both  teacher  and  ics  of  the 
class  must  then  talk  over  the  heads  of  the  ^^^it^^i^o^- 
pupils  studying  at  their  desks.     It   should  be  where 
the  teacher  can  command  the  eye  of  every  one  in  the 
class,  and  yet  it  must  not  obstruct  the  view  which  he 
should  have  of  the  school. 

The  attitude  of  the  teacher  toward  the  recitation 
determines  its  character.  You  cannot  hope  to  obtain 
a  good  recitation  if  your  whole  soul  is  not  in  the  work 
of  that  hou;.     The  personality  of  the  teacher  is  shown 


2j8  Com?no?i    Sense    Didactics 

in  the  recitation  more  than  in  government  or  discipline. 
Attention  and  interest  on  the  part  of  the  teacher  will 
generate  the  same  attributes  in  the  pupils. 

The  recitation  must  be  adapted  to  the  individual 
capacity  of  the  child.  The  boy  having  a  good  com- 
mand of  words  will  impress  the  hearer  with  the  idea 
that  he  knows  it  all  "and  more  too."  The  hesitating, 
timid  girl  will  convey  the  impression  that  she  knows 
but  little,  and  yet  a  few  searching  questions  will  reveal 
the  fact  that  she  really  has  the  better  comprehension 
of  the  lesson. 

One  of  the  most  important  factors  in  conducting  the 
recitation  is  the  eye  ot  the  teacher.  Stand  in  such  a 
position  that  you  can  see  every  member  of  the  class 
during  the  recitation.  Look  in  the  faces  of  the  class 
reciting,  and  you  can  judge  of  the  real  interest  which 
the  lesson  awakens,  by  the  changing  expression  of 
countenance  on  the  part  of  different  members. 

Also  by  the  tones  of  his  voice,  the  teacher  expresses 
what  is  going  on  in  his  own  mind,  his  interest  or  lack 
of  interest,  his  attention  or  inattention;  in  fact,  the 
teacher,  at  the  time  of  recitation,  reveals  himself  by 
his  voice  as  in  no  other  way.  Train  your  eye  to  see 
and  your  voice  to  express,  if  you  expect  to  awaken  the 
enthusiasm  and  attention  necessary  to  a  recitation  pro- 
ductive of  the  most  good. 

Some  one  says  that  to  question  well  is  to  teach  well. 
This  art,  so  desirable  for  the  teacher,  cannot  be 
yy  attained    without    much    care    and    study. 

of  ques-  Consider  that  the  questions  must  be 
Honing,  pointed,  concise,  and  definite.  It  is  a  sorry 
comment  upon  your  methods  when  the  pupil  replies  to 
your  question,  *T  don't  know  what  you  mean."  It 
is  true  that  the  question  should  not  contain  in  itself 


The  Recitation 


239 


the  answer,  or  suggest  the  answer  to  the  pupil,  but  it 
is  equally  true  that  every  reasonable  question  should 
be  stated  in  terms  familiar  to  the  class,  and  should 
have  relation  to  some  portion  of  the  lesson  under 
consideration. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  questions  which  you  will  be 
called  upon  to  use  in  the  class.  First,  there  are  those 
intended  to  aid  you  in  ascertaining  the  amount  of 
honest  effort  which  each  pupil  has  made  to  master  the 
lesson;  next,  you  may  ask  questions  in  order  to  make 
clear  points  which  need  explanation,  and  also  to  give 
information  not  in  the  text-book;  finally,  are  the 
questions  which  reach  back  into  yesterday's  recitation 
and  enable  you  to  judge  whether  this  lesson  connects 
with  those  preceding  it,  whether  your  explanations 
were  understood,  and  whether  the  recitation  as  a  whole 
has  made  an  enduring  impression  upon  the  class. 
The  questions  last  mentioned  will  afford  you  a  good 
method  of  proving  your  own  work. 

In  asking  questions  these  directions  will  be  of  help 
to  you: 

1.  Do  not  point  at  the  pupil  from  whom  you  desire 
an  answer. 

2.  Do  not  repeat  a  question  for  the  benefit  of  the 
inattentive  pupil. 

3.  State  your  questions  in  language  easily  under- 
stood. 

4.  Wait  a  moment  for  an  answer,  if  the  pupil  is  dull 
of  comprehension. 

5.  Do  not  allow  pupils  to  try  twice  in  answering  one 
question. 

6.  Look  steadily  at  the  pupil  who  is  answering,  and 
require  him  to  look  at  you. 

The  written  exercise  has  a  value  of  its  own.     No 


240  Commo?i    Se7isc    Didactics 

pupil  is  well  taught  who  is  not  occasionally  subjected 
to  the  test  of  answering  in  writing  questions  pertaining 
.  to  the  lesson  for  that  day.  Such  an  exercise 
recitation,  tends  to  make  the  pupil  independent  of 
the  teacher,  aids  in  cultivating  language, 
and  fixes  knowledge  permanently  in  the  mind.  Oral 
and  written  recitations  each  have  advantages,  and 
neither  should  prevail  to  the  exclusion  of  the  other. 

Read  in  the  notes  what  Dr.  White  says  regarding 
the  attempt  to  teach  by  the  inductive  method  only. 
Study  it  carefully,  for  it  is  full  of  suggestions.  The 
recitation  offers  the  means  of  imparting  a  certain 
amount  of  information  directly,  and  this  is  by  no 
means  an  unimportant  phase  of  the  exercise. 

In  conducting  the  recitation  you  will  find  occasion 
to  employ  your  knowledge,  your  skill,  your  ingenuity, 
if  you  expect  to  make  it 

The  Life  of  the  School. 

Quotations  Worth  Reading 

recita  tion. 

The  object  of  the  recitation  is : 

1.  To  find  what  the  pupil  knows,  to  prepare  him  for  instruction. 

2.  To  discover  his  misconceptions  and  difficulties. 

3.  To  secure  the  activity  of  his  mind,  and  his  full  cooperation. 

4.  To  test  the  result  and  outcome  of  what  you  have  taught. 

5.  To  determine  the  pupil's  readiness  or  ability  to  go  on. 

6.  To  test  yourself  as  his  teacher. 

-J.  G.  Fitch. 

It  is  the  recitation,  with  its  direct  and  indirect  influence,  which 
makes  a  pupil  an  independent,  courageous  .student,  or  a  hopeless 
beggar. 

THE  LESSON. 

In  order  to  assign  a  lesson  well  the  teacher  must  not  only 
know  the  text-book  used  but  must  know  the  subject  also. 

—Ruric  N.  Roark. 

The  first  thing  to  be  considered  is  that  the  pupil  shall  be  ready 


The  Recitation  2/1-1 

for  the  lesson,  or  to  reverse  the  form  of  statement,  that  the  lesson 
shall  be  adapted  to  the  pupil. 

—B.  A.Hinsdale. 

To  assign  the  lesson  in  accordance  with  the  ability  of  the  class 
to  acquire,  requires  judgment,  knowledge  and  a  large  share  of 
common  sense. 

—Selected. 
THE  CLASS. 

No  teacher  can  make  good  scholars  who  does  not  manage  the 
recitation  skillfully.  It  is  in  this  he  will  need  his  greatest  tact, 
for  he  has  much  to  lose  or  much  to  gain.  If  he  fail  he  will  have 
taught  his  pupils  to  hate  school  and  study,  will  have  paralyzed 
their  efforts  to  learn,  and  will  have  created  habits  that  must 
continue  to  cripple  their  energies  through  life.  If  he  succeed,  he 
will  have  the  proud  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  budding  faculties  of 
the  human  soul  bloom  under  the  culture  of  his  hands,  and  happy 
hearts  made  wiser  and  better,  will  thank  him  for  his  kindness 
and  care. 

—J.  P.  Wicker  sham. 

Class  work  enables  the  pupil  to  compare  himself  with  others ; 
but  more  than  this  it  enables  the  teacher  to  see  the  child  as 
nature  has  made  him, — ambitious  or  indolent,  honest  or  tricky, 
frank  or  deceitful,  jealous  or  rejoicing  in  the  success  of  his  mate. 
Child  nature  is  revealed  in  the  class  as  it  is  nowhere  else. 

—Selected. 
THE  TEACHER. 

"What  thou  dost  not  know  thou  canst  not  tell."  What  a 
teacher  knows  superficially  he  teaches  superficially.  As  no  one 
can  teach  all  he  knows  so  one  must  know  a  subject  thoroughly 
before  he  can  teach  it  thoroughly. 

— /.  N.  Patrick. 

In  considering  a  teacher's  qualifications  the  power  of  exacting 
an  interest  in  the  recitatwns  of  his  school  may  not  be  overlooked. 
No  man  can  be  successful  for  any  length  of  time  without  this. 
This  comprises  what  is  usually  implied  by  aptness  to  teach. 

—David  P.  Page. 

Let  me  put  this  before  you.  Your  class  is  reading  history. 
They  come  across  the  narrative  of  the  battle  of  Marathon ;  the 
lesson -hearer  examines  them  on  the  facts  and  puts  at  the  top  of 
his  cla?s  the  boy  who  writes  them  down  most  accurately  from 
memory.  Well,  what  has  he  written  down?  an  auctioneer's  cat- 
alogue of  a  series  of  actions. 

— Edward  Thring. 

The  aim  of  the  teacher  should  be  to  make  himself  useless.  In 
other  words,  the  school  should  aim  to  lift  the  pupil  to  the  plane  of 
an  independent  thinker,  capable  of  giving  conscious  direction  to 
his  intellectual  life  and  of  concentrating  all  his  powers  upon  any- 
thing that  is  to  be  mastered. 

—Nathan  C.  Schaeffer. 

16 


242  Co  mm  0  71    Sense    Didactic  s 

UNITY. 

No  recitation  should  be  conducted  as  complete  in  itself;  each 
lesson  should  be  fitted  on  to  what  has  preceded  and  to  what  is  to 
follow.  Each  recitation  should  begin  with  a  brief  review  of  what 
has  been  gone  over  recently,  and  should  close  with  a  "preview" 
•of  the  next, 

—Ruric  N.  Roark. 

Another  common  mistake  in  giving  lessons  is  the  attempt  to 
teach  by  the  inductive  method  knowledge  which  can  only  be 
taught  directly.  The  facts  of  history  and  biography,  and  some  of 
the  facts  of  geograph}'-  and  other  elementary  branches  can  only 
be  taught  directly,  and  the  attempt  to  teach  such  knowledge  by 
inductive  or  other  indirect  process  is  a  waste  of  time  and  effort. 

—Emerson  E.  White. 

As  a  means  toward  these  ends  the  pupil  should  have  learned 
■some  portions  of  the  subject-matter  in  an  exact  form,  and  should 
reproduce  the  substance  of  the  lesson  in  his  own  language. 

—  W.  H.  Payne. 
THOROUGHNESS. 

First,  it  must  be  taken  into  account  that  the  word  "thorough- 
ness" has  no  fixed  meaning,  but  is  a  relative  term.  Thoroughness 
at  one  time  and  place  is  not  thoroughness  at  another  time  and 
place.  Thoroughness  in  one  person  is  not  thoroughness  in 
another  person,  and  thoroughness  in  the  safme  person  is  not  the 
•same  thing  at  different  times. 

—B.  A.Hinsdale. 

One  of  the  main  problems  in  teaching  is  how  to  get  things 
remembered  that  are  useful  but  not  interesting.  The  ordinary 
instance  is  the  multiplication  table.  This  is  acquired  by  repeti- 
tion, and  nobody  who  has  not  taught  knows  what  a  tremendous 
amount  of  repetition  is  required. 

—R.  H.  Quick. 

Child  study  will  perhaps  find  its  most  profitable  field  of  investi- 
gation in  the  matter  of  arrested  development.  If  it  can  tell  the 
teacher  how  far  to  push  thoroughness  toward  the  borders  of 
mechanical  perfection,  and  where  to  stop  just  before  induration 
and  arrest  set  in,  it  will  reform  all  our  methods  of  teaching.  And 
it  can  and  will  do  this.  The  new  psychology,  in  its  two  phases  of 
direct  physiological  study  of  brain  and  nerves,  and  its  observation 
■  of  child  development,  will  show  us  how  to  realize  by  education 
the  ideals  of  the  highest  civilization.  The  prolonged  infancy  of 
man  will  be  in  less  danger  of  curtailment  through  vicious  school 
methods. 

—  William  T.  Harris. 
INQUIRY. 

There  is  no  calling  more  delightful  to  those  wno  like  it;  none 
which  seems  such  poor  drudgery  to  those  who  enter  upon  it 
reluctantly  or  merely  as  a  means  of  getting  a  living.  He  who 
4akes  bis  work  as  a  dose  is  likely  to  find  it  nauseous. 

—J.  G.  Fitch. 


The  Recitation  •  24^^ 

It  is  said  that  Dr.  Arnold,  of  Rugby,  was  once  asked  why  he 
spent  several  hours  daily  in  his  study,  preparing  lessons  which  he 
had  taught  for  years,  and  that  his  answer  was,  "I  wish  my  boys 
to  drink  from  a  running  stream,  and  not  from  a  stagnant  pool." 

—Emerson  E.  White. 

An  ignorant  man  has  been  defined  as  one  "whom  God  has 
packed  up  and  men  have  not  unfolded."  The  best  forces  in  such 
a  one  are  perpetually  paralyzed.  Eyes  he  has,  but  he  cannot  see 
the  length  of  his  hand ;  ears  he  has,  and  all  the  finest  sounds  in 
creation  escape  him ;  a  tongue  he  has,  and  it  is  forever  blundering. 

— Newell  Dwight  Hillis. 
QUESTIONING. 

First,  however,  we  may  be  fitly  reminded  that  the  art  of 
putting  questions  is  one  of  the  first  and  most  necessary  arts  to 
be  acquired  by  a  teacher.  To  know  how  to  put  a  good  question 
is  to  have  gone  a  long  way  toward  becoming  a  skillful  and 
efficient  instructor, 

—Selected. 
WRITTEN  RECITA  TION. 

What  an  eye-opener  a  searching  written  examination  would  be 
in  schools  where  teachers  talk  and  explain  much,  and  the  pupils 
recite  very  little;  where  the  instruction  is  given  largely  in  the 
form  of  running  talks  without  a  halt  to  test  results ! 

— Emerson  E.  White. 

There  are  several  good  ends  to  be  gained  from  a  written  reci- 
tation that  are  not  reached  by  the  oral,  (i)  It  gives  a  drill  in 
rapid  writing,  making  the  pupils  use  penmanship  only  as  an 
instrutnent.  (2)  Writing  a  recitation  accustoms  the  pupils  to  spell 
by  eye.  (3)  Through  a  written  recitation  each  pupil  may  be  tested 
upon  the  whole  lesson.  (4)  Writing  the  recitation  affords  a 
training  in  one  of  the  most  valuable  forms  of  expression. 

—Ruric  N.  Roark. 

Questions  for  Examination 

/.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  recite.^ 

2.  Name  the  three  factors  concerned  in  the  recitation. 

J.  What  cautions  are  mentioned  in  connection  with  assigning 

the  lesson? 
^.  What     advantage    has    class    recitation    over    individual 

instruction? 

5.  What  is  the  relation  of  the  teacher  to  the  recitation? 

6.  Name  the  three  principles  which  are  generally  recognized. 

7.  What  is  the  object  of  the  recitation? 

8.  In  what  respects  is  the  written  recitation  sometimes  advan- 

tageous? 

9.  What  is  your  idea  of  the  meaning  of  "being  thorough"? 

10.  In  the  hght  of  this  lesson  what,  in  your  mind,  constitutes  a 
good  recitation? 


24-4-  Co  in  711 0  71    Se7ise    Didactics 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

/.  In  what  respects  are  recitations  in  my  school  defective? 
2.  How  am  I  accustomed  to  treat  dull  pupils? 
J.   Do  you  ask  the  pupil  to  explain  to  you  as  if  you  did  not 
understand? 

4.  In  what  cases  may  a  memoriter  recitation  be  accepted? 

5.  The  mechanics  of  the  recitation,  how  can  they  be  abused? 


CHAPTER  XIII 

ORAL  INSTRUCTION 

By  Man's  Voice  the  Heart  is  Stirred 

The  living  word  is  the  most  powerful  agent  of  instruction. 

— Rosenkranz. 

The  living  voice  gives  richer  nourishment  than  reading. 

—Quintilian. 

Every  addition  to  true  knowledge  is  an  addition  to  human 
power.  While  a  philosopher  is  discussing  one  truth  a  million  may 
be  propagated  among  the  people. 

— Horace  Mann. 

Oral  instruction  presupposes  on  the  part  of  the  pupil :  (a)  willing- 
ness to  learn ;  (b)  capacity  or  ability  to  learn ;  (c)  manifest  interest 
in  the  subject  before  him.  It  also  presupposes  on  the  part  of  the 
teacher:  (a)  superior  knowledge;  (b)  familiarity  with  the  subject; 
(c)  ability  to  communicate  knowledge ;  (d)  ability  to  adapt  knowl- 
edge to  the  mental  capacity  of  the  pupil. 

—Selected. 

A  PRACTICAL  age  demands  practical  aims  in 
education,  as  in  everything  else.  To  think,  to 
speak,  to  act  with  accuracy,  judgment,  and  prompt- 
ness, to  hold  all  the  intellectual  powers  in  subjection 
to  the  reason  and  the  conscience  is  the  education 
demanded  by  the  American  people. 

The  question  of  greatest  interest  to  the  teacher  is 
not  how  to  teach,  but  how  to  teach  each  branch  so  that 
it  may  best  minister  to  the  mental  growth 
of  the  child.  Improved  methods  of  instruc-  -^^^  subject 
tion  should  not  have  reference  to  the 
adoption  of  some  favorite  device  or  scheme,  which 
too  often  is  only  learning  to  ride  some  other  person's 
hobby,  but  to  conducting  the  education  of  the  child  in 

245 


246  Co?nmon    Sense    Didactics 

accordance  with  the  constitution  and  laws  of  his  being. 
We  have  attempted  long  enough  to  find  out  by  experi- 
ment what  methods  may  be  successful.  It  will  be  a 
step  in  advance  when  educators  study  to  know  what 
must  be  successful,  as  settled  by  fixed  and  determined 
laws.  The  exacting  spirit  of  the  times  is  scrutinizing 
our  educational  work, — is  trying  it  as  by  fire,  whether 
it  is  built  of  wood,  or  hay,  or  stubble.  If  we  expect 
to  meet  its  demands,  we  must  formulate  our  educational 
principles  in  terms  intelligible  to  the  common  mind. 
Our  courses  of  study,  in  their  arrangement,  in  their 
subject  matter,  and  in  their  presentation  to  the  pupil 
must  be  in  accordance  with  the  most  pressing  wants  of 
the  child.  He  who  works  upon  marble  may  spurn  as 
worthless  the  chips  which  accumulate  about  his  block; 
but  the  workman  who  works  upon  fine  gold,  gathers  up 
as  precious  the  very  dust  which  falls  under  his  file. 

In  response  to  the  demands  of  the  times  outlined 
above,  there  has  of  late  years  been  a  marked  tendency 
^        ,,  to  regard  the  power  to  do  good  oral  work, 

0/ oral  not  alone  in  the  primary,  but  in  all  grades, 

instruction,    ^g  ^^^  q£  ^.j^^  |^gg|.  ^^^  surest  criterions  of  a 

competent  teacher.  The  ability  to  thus  instruct  inde- 
pendently of  the  text-book,  or  at  times  in  connection 
with  it,  distinguishes  the  best  system  of  schools  in 
Europe,  and  the  normal  schools  of  our  own  land  are 
giving  it  more  attention  every  year.  A  progressive 
teacher  will  always  find  pleasure  as  well  as  profit  in 
cultivating  on  her  own  part  the  power  of  expression,  so 
that  she  may  be  ready  in  illustrating  the  lesson,  and 
apt  in  exciting  interest  in  the  minds  of  her  pupils. 

Certain  things  are  necessary  to  good  oral  work. 
First,  the  teacher  who  essays  it  must  have  absolute 
power  over  himself,  mentally  as  well  as  bodily.   Other- 


Oral    Instriictioii  24Y 

wise  it  is  impossible  to  control  the  class,  and  hold  the 
attention  of  the   pupils   to   the   matter  in   hand.     The 
room  must  be  quiet,  and  the  pupils  at  their    ^  . 
desks    furnished    with    plenty   of    employ-   of  oral 
ment,   that  during  the  time   of    recitation    ^^^i^^ction. 
the  teacher  may  be  free  from  the  burden  of  discipline. 

Above  all  other  work,  oral  instruction  calls  for  close 
attention  and  concentration  of  thought.  Hence  the 
recitation  periods  should  be  short,  especially  when  the 
pupils  are  young.  The  moment  interest  begins  to  lag, 
and  a  stage  of  fatigue  is  reached,  the  work  should  stop. 
If  persisted  in,  after  this,  even  to  finish  out  the  lesson, 
the  children  are  sent  to  their  desks  tired  and  disgusted, 
and  half  the  work  must  be  done  over  at  the  next 
recitation.  The  duration  of  oral  instruction  must  be 
determined  from  the  pupil's  standpoint,  rather  than 
the  inspiration  of  the  moment.  Meaningless  talk 
which  has  no  objective  end  is  a  waste  of  the  pupil's 
time. 

Make  at  least  one  point  plain  and  implant  it  per- 
manently in  the  mind  of  the  child.  It  is  necessary  to 
awaken  interest  and  fix  attention,  but  we  ^  .  . 
must,  at  the  same  time,  cultivate  language  only  07ie  of 
and  expression.  To  amuse  the  class  is  not  ^^^^f^^^^^^- 
the  object  of  oral  lessons.  The  subjects  should  be 
selected  with  care;  the  preparation  should  be  thorough, 
and  made  with  a  view  of  presenting  the  subject  in 
language  adapted  to  the  child's  mental  development. 

Do  not  take  the  assent  of  the  child  as  a  sure  indica- 
tion that  the  oral  work  is  well  done.  Very  often  the 
child,  in  order  to  get  away  from  the  class,  or  perhaps 
because  of  a  disinclination  to  appear  dull,  will  assent 
to  everything  you  say.  You  cannot  be  sure  of  having 
attained  your  purpose  until  you  gain  from  the  pupil 


248  Commo7i    Sense    Didactics 

a  clear  re-statement  or  reproduction  of  your  explana- 
tion, given  in  his  own  language,  not  necessarily  in 
yours.  Sometimes  a  few  questions  will  open  the  eyes 
of  the  teacher  to  the  fact  that  the  work  of  explanation 
has  not  been  well  done.  It  is  not  always  the  child's 
fault  that  he  fails  to  understand. 

Oral  instruction  is  the  best  possible  means  of  break- 
ing the  dead  routine  of  the  schoolroom.  It  can  be 
n     ^  made  to  impart  life  to  what  would  other- 

of  oral  wise  be  a  dead  recitation.     Through  it  the 

instruction,  teacher  stimulates  the  child's  mind  to  pre- 
sent action,  and  awakens  a  desire  for  further  investi- 
gations. 

Donald  G.  Mitchell,  in  one  of  his  books,  says  of 
Shakespeare:  "No,  no;  this  man  did  not  go  about 
in  quest  of  newness;  only  little  geniuses  do  that;  but 
the  great  genius  goes  along  every  commonest  road- 
side, looking  on  every  commonest  sight  of  tree  or 
flower,  of  bud,  of  death,  of  birth,  of  flight,  of  labor,  of 
song;  leads  in  old  tracks,  deals  in  old  truths,  but  with 
such  illuminating  power  that  they  all  come  home  to 
men's  souls  with  new  penetrative  force  and  new  life  in 
them.  He  catches  by  intuition  your  commonest 
thought  and  my  commonest  thought,  and  puts  them 
into  new  and  glorified  shape." 

Mrs.  Browning  in  Aurora  Leigh  says: 

.  .  .  Earth  's  crammed  with  heaven, 
And  every  common  bush  afire  with  God ; 
But  only  he  who  sees  takes  ofif  his  shoes. 

Another  purpose  of  oral  instruction  is  so  to  interest 
the  pupil  in  the  subject  that  he  may  be  willing,  and 
even  anxious,  to  learn.  Every  day's  work  should 
increase  his  capacity  or  his  ability  to  master  the  lesson 
of   the    next  day.     It   is  too  often   the  fault  of  oral 


Oral    Ijistruc tion  2/fg 

instruction  that  there  is  no  growth  in  it.  One  teacher 
succeeds  where  another  fails,  in  oral  work,  not  because 
he  knows  more  or  is  better  prepared,  but  because  he 
has  cultivated  the  ability  to  stand  before  his  class  and 
impart  knowledge.  Joined  with  this  there  must  always 
be  the  skill  to  adapt  the  knowledge  which  the  teacher 
possesses,  to  the  mental  capacity  of  the  pupil.  Because 
a  teacher  knows  a  certain  point  and  sees  it  clearly  him- 
self, is  not  a  sign  thatthe  pupil  understands  it  orgrasps  it. 

The  preparation  of  the  teacher  must  also  have  regard 
to  right  use  of  language.  This  includes  more  than 
the  grammatical  construction  of  sentences, 
although  that  is  very  essential.  Simplicity,  Language 
the  employment  of  short  words  which  are 
of  common  use  and  within  the  child's  vocabulary;  con- 
ciseness, an  avoidance  of  any  redundancy  of  words; 
clear  expressions,  such  as  are  easily  comprehended, 
are  some  of  the  essentials  to  be  studied  by  the  suc- 
cessful oral  instructor. 

Some  one  says  of  a  writer:  "He  touches  the 
daisies  and  the  roses  with  tints  that  keep  them  always 
in  freshest,  virgin,  dewy  bloom;  and  he  fetches  the 
forest  to  our  eye  with  words  that  are  brim  full  of  the 
odors  of  the  woods  and  of  the  waving  green  boughs." 
The  skillful  teacher  can  do  all  this.  It  will  not  do, 
however,  for  him  to  depend  for  his  language  upon  the 
inspiration  of  the  moment.  If  he  does  he  runs  the 
risk  of  a  bad  failure. 

As  a  general  thing,  technical  terms  are  to  be  avoided, 
especially  with    young    children.      Yet     the    teacher 
should  not  go  too  far  out  of  his  way  to  avoid         .      ., 
such    terms,    when    their    use    would     be        technical 
preferable.    Whenever  new  words  are  used,        ter7ns. 
every  possible  pains   should    be   taken   to   make    the 


2^0  Common    Se?ise    Didactic s 

children  familiar  with  them,  so  that  they  may 
recognize  them  when  used  again.  It  is  especially 
necessary  in  oral  work  that  you  make  sure  of  the 
ground  as  you  go  over  it  the  first  time.  It  is  one  of 
the  advantages  of  oral  instruction  that  the  teacher  goes 
straight  to  the  mark,  and  avoids  the  round-about  ways 
which  confuse  and  weary  the  child,  if  they  do  not 
disgust  him  with  all  learning. 

The  following,  taken  from  an  English  work,  illustrates 
the  point: 

"Once  upon  a  time,  for  instance,  a  master  was  about 
to  give  a  lesson  on  marble  to  some  small  boys,  and 
began,  for  some  occult  reason,  by  asking  his  class  to 
tell  him  the  names  of  various  stones.  He  thus  elicited 
hearthstone,  blue-stone,  granite,  kerbstone,  sand- 
stone—everything but  marble.  At  last  he  tried 
another  tack.  'Did  you  ever,'  he  asked,  'go  for  walks 
on  Sunday — in  the  churchyard?'  'Yes,  sir,'  said  a 
little  boy.  'And  what  do  you  see  there?'  'The 
tombstones.'  'Well,  don't  those  remind  you  of 
another  kind  of  stone?  Think,  boys,  think!'  'Please, 
sir,  brimsto7ie.'  " 

Now,  this  teacher  should  have  told  his  boys  with- 
out any  preface  that  he  was  going  to  give  them  a  lesson 
on  marble;  there  was  not  the  least  reason  for  beginning 
his  work  by  asking  them  to  guess  what  was  in  his 
mind. 

It  is  not,  by  any  means,  the  province  of  oral 
instruction  to  make  the  rough  places  smooth  and  the 
y,,  .  _  crooked  places  straight;  in  other  words,  to 
ince  of  oral  provide  a  royal  road  to  knowledge.  If  oral 
instruction,  ^qj-j^  jg  done  in  the  right  way,  and  in  the 
true  teaching  spirit,  it  will  draw  upon  the  thinking, 
reasoning,  and  observing  faculties  of  the  child  much 


Oral    Ifis true ti 0  71  2^1 

more  strongly  than  the  lesson  from  the  text-book. 
Some  teachers  take  it  for  granted  that  oral  instruction 
is  very  easy  work  In  the  way  they  do  it,  it  is  easy 
work  and  amounts  to  nothing  in  the  end.  They  simply 
"multiply  words  without  knowledge." 

In  the  lower  grades  oral  instruction  stands  out  as 
the  prominent  work  of  the  school.  As  we  ascend  in 
the  grades,  it  gradually  loses  its  prominence  and  gives 
place  to  the  text-book,  which  it  supplements  until,  in 
the  upper  grades  and  in  the  high  school,  its  chief  use 
is  to  explain  and  elucidate  the  work  of  the  book.  In 
every  recitation  some  of  the  work  should  be  oral.  In 
no  other  way  can  interest  be  awakened  and  kept  alive. 
The  pupils  follow  the  words  of  the  teacher  and  catch 
their  inspiration  from  his  eyes  and  voice. 

The  province  of  oral  instruction  seems  to  be  three- 
fold: (a)  instruction  furnishing  information;  (b) 
explanation;  (c)  stimulating  the  pupil  to  draw  upon  his 
resources,  or  to  think.  As  concerns  the  pupil,  it 
serves  this  triple  purpose:  (a)  cultivation  of  continuity 
of  speech;  (b)  inducing  him  to  comment  in  his  own 
words  upon  what  he  has  learned  from  outside  sources; 
(c)  quickening  his  perceptive  facuUies,  or  leading  him 
to  observe  and  discover  for  himself. 

The  effort  which  good  oral  instruction  calls  for  from 

individual  members  of  the  class  serves  a  very  valuable 

purpose.    Providing  the  construction  of  the 

languas^e   used   is  correct,  there  should  be       Freedom 
^      ^  '  .  essential. 

much   freedom   in   oral   instruction   on   the 

part  of  teacher  and  pupils.     There  was,  for  a  time,  a 

disposition  to  require  that  answers  to  questions  always 

should  take  the  form  of  a  complete  sentence.     There 

is  too  much  formality  about  this.     It  is  not  natural,  and 

places    the    child    at    a   great   disadvantage.      He    is 


2^2  Co  mm  0  71    Se?ise    Didactic  s 

required  to  do  something  at  school  which  he  does  not 
do  naturally  at  home  or  on  the  playground.  Oral 
instruction  is  simply  conversation  in  its  best  form,  and 
success  depends  very  much  upon  putting  the  child  at 
ease  during  the  recitation.     (See  page  229.) 

Remember,  however,  that  oral  instruction  loses 
much  of  its  real  worth  when  the  teacher,  in  his  eager- 
ness to  impart  knowledge,  or  to  awaken  an  interest  on 
the  part  of  the  class,  does  nearly  all  the  talking  and 
the  pupils  little  or  none.  "The  between  method,"  as 
it  is  called,  is  not  well  suited  for  common-school  work. 
Encourage  pupils  to  ask  questions  of  each  other,  to 
make  statements,  to  interpose  objections,  and  to 
express  their  thoughts  independent  of  the  teacher.  It 
was  a  fine  criticism  which  a  visitor  made  when  he  said 
to  the  teacher,  "That  was  a  good  recitation.  I  only 
wish  you  had  given  the  class  a  chance  to  try  their 
hand  at  it.  Do  you  ever  let  them  do  any  of  the 
reciting?" 

The  importance  of  the  general  subject  of  oral  instruc- 
tion is  much  broader  than  object  or  illustrative  lessons, 
embracing  explanation,  questions,  and  all  matter 
designed  to  supplement  the  text-book.  At  least  one- 
half  of  the  work  of  an  ordinary  school  day  is  included 
under  the  head  of  oral  instruction.  For  this  reason 
the  subject  deserves  a  more  careful  consideration  than 
it  usually  receives. 

There  are  but  few,  if  any,  schools  in  the  land  in 
which  text-books  could  be  abandoned,  and  oral  instruc- 
tion in  each  branch  substituted.  The  main  purpose  of 
oral  instruction  is  to  aWaken  thought  and  arouse  the 
activities  of  the  mind,  but  not  to  supplant  the  text. 
Such  instruction  is  adapted  for  use  when  the  pupils  are 
too  young  to  use  a  text-book,   or   when  no  suitable 


Oral    Iiistrti  ctio7i  25J 

text-book  is  at  hand.  It  also  has  an  important  use 
when,  as  is  often  the  case,  the  text-book  in  the  hands 
of  the  pupils  is  not  sufficiently  explicit  and  clear  upon 
every  point  of  the  lesson.  In  every  class  there  will  be 
pupils  who  do  not  and  cannot  understand  the  words 
used  in  the  book,  until  the  teacher  supplies  simpler 
illustrations 

With  this  in  view,  the  teacher  must  make  a  thorough 
preparation  for  his  work.  It  will  not  do  to  trust  to 
chances,  or  to  suggestions  prompted  at  the  moment. 
Such  suggestions  are  often  pointless  and  irrelevant. 

The  custom  prevalent  in  many  schools  of  separating 
oral  instruction  from  the  text-books  is  not  entirely 
praise-worthy.  Even  in  what  are  usually  termed 
general  exercises,  reference  must  often  be  made  to 
information  gained  from  books,  and  the  sources  from 
which  such  information  can  be  obtained  must  be 
pointed  out.  In  no  other  way  is  the  skill  of  the 
teacher  more  clearly  revealed  than  in  her  ability  to 
intersperse  oral  instruction  in  connection  with  recita- 
tion from  the  text-book. 

Not  the   least  of  the  advantages  which  accrues  to 
oral  instruction  is  that  through  it  the  teacher  frequently 
is    able    to    vary  or  diversify  methods    to 
meet  the  individual  wants  of  the  pupil.     It    Jf  diversf- 
doesn't  take  very  much    of   a   teacher   to  fy^^S 
hear  the  lesson;  but  to  enliven  the  lesson, 
to  illuminate  the  chief  points,  to  fasten  it  in  the  mind 
of  the  child  and  to  awaken  within  him  the  desire  to 
know  more,  is  the  real  criterion  of  a  good  teacher. 

Not  alone  the  capacity  of  the  teacher  to  give  instruc- 
tion in  this  way  is  to  be  considered,  but  the  capacity 
of  the  pupil  to  receive  and  digest  it.  Formal  instruc- 
tion, as  given  in  the  text-book,  loses  very  much  of  its 


2^4  Contmo?i    Sense    Didactics 

terror  to  the  unwilling  pupil,  and  gains  an  additional 
attraction  for  him  who  is  willing,  when  the  living 
voice  of  the  teacher  directs  the  work. 

To  be  successful  in  illustrative  teaching,  it  is  essential 
that  those  who  are  to  teach   in  village  and   country 

.,  , .  schools  should  be  able  to  construct  forms, 
Making  ,     .       , 

simple  solids,  maps,  charts,  and  simple  apparatus, 

apparatus.  ^^    ^^^^    |}(.^|g    expense.     I     say    it    with 

reverence  akin  to  awe,  as  one  who  may  be  charged 
with  trifling  with  sacred  things,  that  no  reading  of 
psychology,  no  depths  of  pedagogical  lore,  no  study 
of  educational  history,  no  knowledge  of  methods 
obtained  from  books,  can  compensate  for  a  lack  of 
that  power  which  enables  the  school  teacher  to  stand, 
crayon  in  hand,  before  the  blackboard  and  illustrate 
the  lesson,  or  to  construct  apparatus  from  the  cheap 
articles  to  be  obtained  at  the  country  store,  or  to  use 
the  things  of  common  life  to  make  clear  the  truths  of 
nature  to  the  minds  of  the  wondering  pupils. 

Occasionally  some  ingenious  boy  or  girl  will  devise 
and  make  a  piece  of  apparatus  which  will  be  useful 
in  your  work.  Such  a  tendency  is  always  to  be 
encouraged.  It  adds  fresh  interest  to  the  subject  and 
stimulates  others  to  exercise  their  skill  in  the  same 
way.  Even  when  it  is  rude  in  its  construction,  such 
an  appliance  should  receive  commendatory  notice  by 
being  used  during  the  recitation. 

In  no  way  can  you  be  so  helpful  to  the  children 
under  your  care  as  by  presenting  to  them,  in  an 
attractive  form,  information  worth  remembering.  Do 
not,  however,  dwell  too  long  upon  unimportant  facts, 
do  not  try  to  illustrate  and  make  plain  what  every  child 
understands  as  well  as  his  teacher.  Besides,  it  is  well 
to  leave  some  points  which  are  not  quite  clear  at  that 


Oral    Instruction  2^§ 

time,  for  the  pupils  to  think  over  and  investigate  for 
themselves. 

It  should  be  understood  that  oral  instruction  cannot 
be  carried  on  successfully  without  any  effort  on  the 
part  of  the  pupil.  Too  often  the  pupil  ^,  -h  -hi 
looks  upon  it  as  a  leisure  hour,  during  must  make 
which  the  teacher  takes  the  laboring  oar,  ^^^^  effoj-t. 
and  they  are  only  passengers.  The  object  ot  oral 
instruction  is  not  to  cram  the  pupil  with  certain  dry 
facts,  nor  is  it  to  require  him  to  state  in  his  own  words 
truths  or  facts  so  commonplace  that  every  one  has 
observed  them.  This  commandment  is  prominent  in 
the  teacher's  decalogue:  Thou  shalt  not  cram  thyself 
with  superficial  knowledge  that  thou  mayest  appear 
learned  beyond  thy  fellows,  nor  shalt  thou  cram  thy 
pupil  lest  by  so  doing  thou  destroyest  his  desire  to 
know.  Blaikie  says:  "Cramming  is  a  species  of 
intellectual  feeding  neither  preceded  by  appetite  nor 
followed  by  digestion."  Cramming  is  simply  a 
synonym  for  shamming. 

To  cultivate  and  draw  out  the  observing  powers  of  the 
child  is  the  purpose  of  this  kind  of  work.  Often  it  is 
necessary  to  give  the  child  an  outline  of  what  the  work 
is  to  be,  and  to  expect  of  him  a  certain  amount  of 
preparation  as  a  prerequisite  to  a  successful  recitation. 
He  may  be  asked  to  observe  certain  things  on  his  way 
to  and  from  school,  to  bring  certain  objects  which  may 
be  used  as  illustrations,  as  a  means  of  connecting  him 
with  the  lesson  and  the  lesson  with  him.  It  is  a  step 
in  advance  when  the  pupil  is  led  to  say:  "I  knew 
that  before,  but  I  never  thought  of  it."  As  a  teacher 
must  observe  and  reflect  for  himself,  so  he  must 
skillfully  lead  the  pupil  along  until,  in  turn,  he 
observes  and  reflects  for  himself. 


2^6  Commo?i    Sense    Didactics 

Let  me  ask  you  this  question:  Can  you  teach?  I 
do  not  mean  can  you  keep  school?  That  is  not  so 
difficult  a  thing  to  do.  Make  the  children 
teach?  walk  on  tip-toe;  keep  the  room  as  still 
as  the  grave,  while  you  sit  at  your  table, 
book  in  hand,  and  hear  the  recitation.  Keep  the 
pupils  on  an  eternal  dress  parade,  inculcate  the  idea 
that  whispering  and  laughing  are  among  the  sins  not 
to  be  forgiven;  report  97  per  cent  attendance,  and  the 
thing  is  about  done. 

Order  and  discipline  are  very  valuable  as  a  means, 
but  they  are  useless,  and  even  vicious,  when  they  are 
made  the  end.  The  best  disciplinarian  is  not  always 
the  best  teacher.  The  most  valuable  acquisition  a 
teacher  can  possess  is  the  power  to  teach;  to  stand 
before  her  class,  and  with  or  without  a  book,  explain 
and  illustrate,  drawing  upon  her  own  resources  until  the 
subject  matter  of  the  lesson  is  fully  brought  within  the 
comprehension  of  the  child. 

The  chief  function  of  the  teacher  is  to  secure 
independent  mental  activity  on  the  part  of  the  pupil. 
This  thought  was  in  the  mind  of  Philip  of  Macedon 
when  he  entrusted  his  son  Alexander  to  the  tutorship 
of  Aristotle  with  the  one  direction:  "Make  yourself 
unnecessary  as  soon  as  possible." 

Remember  the  motto  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter, 
whenever  you  attempt  to  give  Oral  Instruction: 

By  Man's  Voice  the  Heart  Is  Stirred- 

Quotations  Worth  Reading 
nature  of  oral  instruction. 

The  product  of  the  school  must  be  the  free,  enkindled  soul, 
alive  to  observation,  trained  to  habits  of  industry,  original  inquiry 
and  artistic  enjoyment — a  creator  in  the  world  of  action — a  self- 
governing,  independent-thinking  and  wealth-contributing  citizen. 

—Preston   IV.  Search. 


Oral    Instructio7i  2^^ 

Teacher-experience  supplements  child-experience;  the  teacher 
stimulates  and  guides  the  efforts  of  the  child,  but  its  ideas  are 
gained  directly  from  things.     This  is  oral  work. 

— Henry  Halderwood. 

Methods  should  vary  according  to  the  subject  taught,  for  in 
knowledge  itself  there  is  great  diversity. 

—Bacon. 
INTEREST  A   FACTOR. 

Dr.  Andrew  Heil  says:  "Of  all  subjects  calculated  to  call  forth 
a  pupil's  own  efforts,  those  which  give  him  something  to  do  have 
the  preference  over  those  which  merely  give  him  something  to 
say." 

— Preston  W.  Search. 

If  the  boy  has  to  pick  stones  on  the  road  or  to  handle  hammer 
and  drill  in  a  quarry,  all  the  more  need  of  his  learning  to  see  the 
beautiful  around  him,  and  to  read  in  nature  such  messages  as  will 
cheer  and  encourage  him  in  his  toil. 

— Sarah  L.  Arnold. 
PROVINCE   OF  ORAL  INSTRUCTION. 

In  the  physical  world,  the  earth,  the  rock,  the  tree,  the  plant, 
the  flower,  the  fruit,  the  beast,  the  bird,  the  fish — what  illustrative 
material  is  found  for  the  lower  as  well  as  the  higher  grades,  com- 
bining the  sweetest  pleasure  with  the  highest  use ! 

—George  Howland. 

Draw  the  subjects  of  oral  exercises,  not  from  collections  con- 
structed at  pleasure  to  complicate  the  difficulties  of  language,  but 
from  matters  of  current  interest,  from  an  incident  in  the  school, 
from  the  lessons  of  the  day,  from  passages  in  sacred  history,  in' 
the  history  of  France,  or  in  a  recent  geography  lesson. 

—  W.H.  Payne. 

It  is  chiefly  by  the  means  of  the  living  voice  that  scholars  can 
be  readily  inspired;  it  is  only  when  the  eyes  meet  and  expression 
and  gestures  are  seen  and  tones  are  heard,  that  there  arises  that 
subtle  and  indefinable  sympathy  between  teacher  and  taught, 
which  is  so  essential  to  the  intellectual  life  of  the  scholar. 

—J.  G.  Fitch. 

As  a  leading  influence  in  this  direction  the  pupil  must  be 
taught  to  value  his  work.  That  he  may  do  this  ii  must  have 
something  of  psrmanence  in  its  preparation,  making  it  possible  to 
preserve  it,  and,  finally,  adequate  means  for  keeping  it  must  be 
provided.  To  this  end  pupils  should  never  write,  paint  nor  draw 
upon  scraps  of  paper,  nor  should  they  ever  use  poor  pens  or  bad 
ink. 

—  Wilbur  S.Jackntan. 

The  preceptor  should  employ  every  means  in  his  power  to 
guard  his  pupils  against  using  obscure  terms,  or  words  without 
definite  ideas  attached  to  them.  To  this  effect  objects  and  facts 
must  be  brought  under  their  notice  in  very  rapid  succession. 

Selected. 
Yl 


2^8  Common    Se?isc    Didactics 

Questions  for  Examination 

1.  What  does  oral  instruction  presuppose  on  the  part  of  the 

teacher? 

2.  Name  one  criterion  of  a  good  teacher. 

J.  In  oral  instruction  what  caution  is  given  as  regards  the  use 
of  language? 

4.  "What  double  purpose  does  oral  instruction  serve  on  the 

part  of  the  pupil? 

5.  The  relation  of  oral  instruction  to  the  text-book? 

6.  When  may  you  be  reasonably  sure  that  the  child  compre- 

hends your  meaning? 

7.  Name  any  advantages  accruing  from  oral  instruction. 

8.  What  part  should  the  pupil  take  in  oral  instruction? 

g.  What  do  you  understand  by  the  expression,  "The  dead 

routine  of  the  schoolroom"? 
10.  Define  the  term  oral  instruction. 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

1.  Are  we  ready  to  dispense  with  text-books? 

2.  What  do  we  mean  by  cramming  the  children's  heads? 
J.  Prepare  an  outline  for  an  oral  lesson  in  geography. 

4.  There  is  danger  of  falling  into  the  ruts  in  oral  as  well  as 

text-book  instruction. 
J.  What  are  the  most  prevalent  faults  of  text-book  instruction? 


CHAPTER  XIV 

MEMORY 

Man's  Best  Servant 

Memory  is  the  act  of  recalling  the  picture  of  a  past  experience. 

—A.  R.  Taylor. 

Not  only  what  the  child  now  understands  but  what  is  within 
the  probable  range  of  his  understanding  may  be  memorized. 

— Selected. 

In  order  to  commit  to  memory  the  attention  should  be  undi- 
vided. This  faculty,  more  perhaps  than  any  other,  requires 
freedom  from  disturbing  influences. 

— Francis  B.  Palmer. 

We  all  know  that  a  teacher  may  know  facts  enough  about 
history  to  pass  an  ordinary  examination  very  creditably,  and  yet 
know  them  to  very  little  purpose  because  he  knows  them  in  a 
purely  mechanical  way 

— /.  P.  Gordy. 

The  great  passages  of  the  Bible  may  be  read  and  committed  to 
memory  years  before  they  can  be  logically  analyzed.  A  glimpse 
of  the  Divine  Majesty,  a  view  of  the  future  glory,  a  touch  of  the 
celestial  fire  will  come  into  the  heart  and  life  of  a  little  child  from 
a  lesson  that  he  will  never  fully  comprehend. 

—B.  A.  Hinsdale. 

TO  HAVE  an  accurate  and  retentive  memory  is 
one  of  the  essential  equipments  for  business  or 
professional  life.  How  to  train  it  in  the  child,  so  that 
it  may  be  most  serviceable  to  him  in  his 
mature  years,  is  a  matter  of  great  moment,  of  memory. 
There  is  no  question  but  that  the  memory, 
like  any  other  faculty  of  the  mind,  can  be  strength- 
ened by  use.  No  greater  good  can  come  to  a  youth 
than  to  be  placed  under  the  tuition  of  a  person  who 
knows  how  to  train  this  faculty  by  judicious  exercise. 

259 


26o  Coftimon    Se^isc    Didactic s 

The  aim  should  be  to  develop  the  "universal  mem- 
ory." Many  teachers  have  an  exercise  consisting 
mostly  of  poetry  to  be  committed  to  memory  and  recited 
by  the  entire  school,  under  the  impression  that  they 
are  thus  building  up  and  strengthening  the  memory. 
Such  an  exercise  has  its  value  in  a  restrictive  sense  only 
This  course  makes  it  easier  for  the  child  to  learn  poetry. 
Dates  in  history,  facts  in  geography,  rules  in 
arithmetic,  maybe  memorized  in  the  same  way,  with- 
out strengthening  the  memory  as  a  whole. 

The  only  sensible  course  seems  to  be  that  which 
regards  memory  as  an  objective  point  in  every 
exercise  of  the  school,  and  one  never  to  be  lost  sight 
of. 

There  are  two  extremes  to  be  avoided.  One  of  them 
is  to  regard  memory  of  such  importance  that  it  is  to 
be  cultivated  even  to  the  neglect  of  other  faculties. 
The  other  is  that  memory,  in  itself  alone,  is  of  little 
practical  significance,  and  worthy  of  no  especial  atten- 
tion. The  truth  is,  that  a  ready  memory  is  of  great 
use  as  an  efficient  aid  to  other  faculties,  and  that  only 
in  its  relation  as  determining  the  efficiency  of  the 
working  whole  can  its  real  value  be  estimated. 

Taylor,  in  The  Study  of  the  Child,  says  that  "Mem- 
ory is  the  act  of  recalling  the  picture  of  a  past  expe- 
rience." Other  definitions  are  given  at  the 
memory?  conclusion  of  this  chapter.  I  quote  also 
what  Taylor  further  says  in  this  connec- 
tion, because  it  contains  so  much  truth.  "Its 
(memory's)  value  depends  upon  its  accuracy,  its 
rapidity  and  comprehensiveness.  Without  memory 
there  could  be  no  progress  in  knowledge  getting. 
Perception  makes  little  advancement  if  memory  is  not 
following  closely  behind."     These  words  form  a  com- 


Me  mory  261 

plete  refutation  of  the  views  of  no  inconsiderable 
number  of  teachers  who  affect  to  regard  the  cultivation 
of  memory  as  of  minor  importance. 

In  a  general  sense,  special  training  in  one  subject 
tends  rather  to  weaken  than  to  strengthen  memory. 
The  same  is  true  of  memorizing  anything  for  temporary 
purposes  only.  The  geologist  has  a  memory  for 
geological  facts  alone;  so  the  chemist,  for  chemical 
terms;  the  historian,  for  important  dates;  and  the 
mathematician,  for  rules  and  formulas.  But  the 
memory  which  is  most  serviceable  in  daily  life  is  that 
which  comes  to  a  man's  aid  when  it  is  most  needed, 
and  upon  the  assistance  of  which  he  can  always  depend. 
Some  authors  call  it  a  rational  memory,  thus  dis- 
tinguishing it  from  that  which  is  more  mechanical  in 
its  nature.  Thus  when  we  say  a  pupil  has  a  good 
memory,  we  simply  mean  that  he  has  the  power  to 
reproduce  that  which  at  some  time  has  become  fixed  in 
his  mind,  and  to  state  it  in  the  plainest  and  most  simple 
language.     (See  page  227.) 

Avoiding,  as  far  as  possible,  psychological  terms,  we 
may  state  that  the  subject  under  consideration  by  the 
child  is  fixed  in  his  mind  through  attention,  study,  and 
thought.     Interest  is  here  an  important  factor. 

To  apprehend  or  to  understand  is  the  first  step.  The 
explanation  of  a  difficult  point  in  a  lesson  is  remem- 
bered by  those  of  the  class  who  comprehend  ,,,  ,  . 
each  step,  but  it  is  forgotten  by  those  who  inemoriz- 
give  no  attention  to  what  is  going  on.  ^^S' 
Many  teachers  fail  to  comprehend  that  the  pupil's  ina- 
bility to  recite  is  often  due,  not  to  a  defective  mem- 
ory, but  to  the  teacher's  inability  to  awaken  mind  or 
arouse  any  real  interest. 

The  next  step  is  that  of  retention  in  the  mind.     Here 


262  Co  mm  0  71    Sc7ise    Didactic  s 

constant  repetition  and  daily  drill  is  valuable  and 
necessary.  Reviews  should  be  frequent.  Questions 
should  be  asked  with  the  intention  of  bringing  out 
certain  valuable  points  in  preceding  lessons,  and  of 
thus  testing  the  pupil's  memory.  The  teacher  must 
make  much  allowance  here  for  different  minds.  Some 
retain  with  great  readiness,  others  with  the  utmost 
difficulty.  There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that  in  the 
normal  mind  the  power  of  retention  can  be  greatly 
increased  by  careful  training. 

The  third  step  is  reproduction;  bringing  back  into 
actual  existence  or  into  life  that  which  has  been  re- 
tained for  a  longer  or  shorter  time  in  the  mind.  That 
remains  the  longest,  and  is  most  easily  reproduced, 
which  made  the  deepest  impression  at  the  time  of 
acquiring.  "It  made  such  an  impression  upon  me  at 
the  time  that  I  have  never  forgotten  it,"  is  a  very  com- 
mon expression,  but  it  conveys  the  exact  truth. 

Expression,  or  language,  plays  an  important  part  in 
reproduction.  The  ready  use  of  words  is  more  marked 
in  one  child  than  in  another.  The  three  steps,  acquisi- 
tion, retention,  reproduction,  constitute  the  unit  of  the 
art  of  memory.  I  cannot  reproduce  what  I  have  not 
retained.  I  cannot  retain  what  I  do  not  acquire.  I 
cannot  acquire  what  I  have  not  made  my  own  through 
application  and  study,  incited  by  interest  in  the  work. 

Whether  we  call  memory  a  faculty  of  the  mind,  or 
regard  it  as  a  function  of  the  intellect,  it  can  be  culti- 
vated and  strengthened  by  constant  use.     It 
Cultivation    ^1,1  1  i-^i.  ■    a^ 

of  memory.     ^^^^  takes  equal  rank  with  reason  or  judg- 
ment, and  is  essential  to  the  right  exercise 
of  these  other  powers. 

To  overburden  the  memory  with  words  and  facts 
having  no  relation   to  each   other,  or  to   life,  is  one 


Me  mory  26J 

extreme  to  be  avoided.  To  neglect  the  cultivation  of 
memory,  or  to  treat  its  growth  as  of  incidental  impor- 
tance, is  the  other  extreme  into  which  too  many- 
teachers  have  fallen.  Between  these  extremes  there  is 
a  happy  medium,  and  in  no  way  can  the  teacher  show 
greater  skill  or  do  more  for  the  child  than  in  cultiva- 
ting in  him  a  ready,  retentive,  accurate  memory.  The 
teacher  must,  however,  keep  constantly  in  mind  that 
memory  is  a  variable  power;  in  some  children  naturally 
strong,  in  others  naturally  weak.  Hence  cultivation 
of  the  memory  must  be  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the 
individual  child. 

What  the  child  has  learned  he  must  be  required  to 
use  as  often  as  possible.  Knowledge  retained  in  the 
mind  becomes  dim  and  obscure  through  disuse.  We 
say  we  have  forgotten  much  that  we  learned  in  child- 
hood. It  is  only  because  such  knowledge  has  been 
forced  into  the  background  by  later  acquisitions,  which 
are  of  more  immediate  use  to  us  in  our  daily  vocation. 
It  is  by  no  means  an  indication  of  faulty  instruction, 
that  the  child,  at  the  end  of  the  term,  does  not  easily 
recall  everything  which  he  learned  at  the  beginning. 
For  this  reason  final  examinations  are  not  a  sure  test 
of  scholarship,  or  of  fitness  for  promotion. 

One  pupil,  through  the  possession  of  a  strong  verbal 
memory  and  a  ready  use  of  language,  obtains  a  high 
percentage.  Another,  because  defective  in  these  same 
particulars,  obtains  a  low  mark.  It  is  possible  that  the 
latter  has  given  more  study  and  more  thought  to  the 
subject  than  the  former,  and  is  better  prepared  for 
advanced  work.  Hence  in  this  connection  the  teacher 
should  observe  the  caution  that,  in  the  cultivation  of 
memory,  we  must  insist  upon  right  habits  of  study. 
"Without  attention,  interest,  thought,  the  most  valua- 


264  Common    Sense    Didactics 

ble  element  of  memory,  the  power  to  retain,  will  be 
weak  and  useless." 

The  cultivation  of  the  memory  is  too  important  to 
be  left  to  chance.  The  teacher  should  have  some  care- 
Method of  fully  devised  plan,  so  that  every  day  may 
cultivation,    witness  growth  in  memory  power. 

Some  one  says:  "In  a  child  a  good  memory  is  well 
known  by  these  properties:  that  it  is  quick  in  receiv- 
ing, sure  in  keeping,  and  ready  in  delivering  forth 
again."  This  implies  close  attention,  interest,  and 
language — three  things  very  essential  in  order  to  arouse 
the  memory  to  exertion  and  effort.  Continual  repeti- 
tion, likewise,  is  needed  to  deepen  the  impression. 
The  mind  retains  only  that  which  it  makes  its  own.  In 
this,  also,  "one  day  must  help  another." 

The  child  mind  receives  readily;  its  power  to  retain 
should  grow  with  every  year  of  school  life.  The  mem- 
ory grows  as  our  bodily  organs  grow,  by  constant  use. 

So  far  as  verbal  memory  gives  us  the  power  to  repro- 
duce in  the  very  words  of  the  author,  it  is  valuable. 
A  more  important  ofifice  of  memory  is  to  enable  us  to 
reproduce  general  ideas,  thoughts,  or  principles,  and 
state  them  in  our  own  words.  The  methods  to  be  com- 
mended, then,  are  awakened  interest,  constant  repeti- 
tion, and  a  grasp  of  the  subject  in  its  oneness.  (See 
page  234.) 

Two  points  must  be  kept  continually  in  mind.  First, 
if  a  task  is  given  to  be  learned  by  heart  see  to  it  that 
it  is  thoroughly  memorized.  Exactness  is  very  impor- 
tant. Do  not  permit  one  word  to  be  substituted  for 
another,  but  use  invariably  the  exact  language  of  the 
author.  To  be  able  to  quote  the  very  words  in  which 
the  idea  is  expressed  by  the  writer,  or  speaker,  is  a 
most  valuable  acquisition. 


M  e7no  ry  26 § 

The  subject,  however,  should  be  adapted  to  the  age 
and  mental  capacity  of  the  child.  Physical  conditions, 
as  well,  are  to  be  regarded.  I  do  not  believe  that  the 
time  of  day  is  very  important,  under  right  environ- 
ments. Children  should  be  fresh  and  vigorous  during 
the  last  hour  of  the  session  if  due  regard  is  had  to 
exercise,  ventilation,  and  rest  periods. 

In  the  second  place,  pupils  must  be  trained  to 
express  the  thoughts  of  others  in  their  own  words.  A 
clear  conception  of  the  meaning  of  words,  in  their 
relation  to  each  other  and  to  the  sentence  as  a  whole, 
is  necessary  and  must  be  obtained  in  order  to  make 
memory  available  for  this  usage. 

To  have  only  memoriter  recitations  is  to  cultivate 
memory  at  the  expense  of  other  functions  of  the  mind, 
while  to  have  nothing  memorized,  "word  for  word  as 
it  is  in  the  book,"  is  to  cultivate  other  functions  to  the 
neglect  of  memory.  Either  extreme  should  be  care- 
fully avoided.  Some  one  says:  "Memory  especially 
is  an  excellent  preparatory  school  for  the  thinking 
activity."  Unless  the  thinking  powers  are  carefully 
exercised,  memory  becomes  a  useless  function  of  the 
mind. 

A  prominent  author  says  that  the  three  points  to  be 
observed  in  the  cultivation  of  memory  are  attention, 
order,  repetition.  These  are  the  very  points  Attentioti, 
which  a  good  primary  teacher  observes  in  order, 
her  work.  But  in  order  that  a  fact  be  ^P^  ^  ^ 
apprehended  with  precision,  it  must  be  stated  with 
precision.  The  language  used  by  the  teacher  in  stating 
the  fact,  becomes  the  basis  of  the  language  used  by 
the  child  in  reproducing  it. 

Inaccurate  observation,  imperfect  conception  of 
truth,  erroneous  views  of  principles,  are  not   the  only 


266  Cominoii    Sense    Didactic s 

indications     of     superficial     scholarship.      Inaccurate 

statements,  incorrect  use  of  language,  a  choice  of  words 

which    does    not   convey   the    intended    idea,  are    the 

strongest  possible  proofs  that  the  subject  has  not  been 

mastered  in  its  full  sense.     Accuracy  is  the  criterion  of 

mental  discipline. 

This  is  a  slow  process  of  rebuilding.     It  depends 

upon  the  association  of  ideas.     I  am  unable  to  recall  a 

certain    event.      A   friend    mentions  some 

Recollecti07i.  •      •  i      ,  i.    j      -^.u  -i.         j  •  -      u      4, 

mcident  connected  with  it,  and  in  an  instant 

the  entire  scene  flashes  upon  me  as  fresh  as  though 
it  happened  but  yesterday.  There  is  also  what  we 
sometimes  term  sub-consciousness.  The  mind  fre- 
quently retains  knowledge  which  it  seems  unwilling, 
at  the  moment,  to  give  out.  A  friend  once  said  to  me: 
"What  is  the  name  of  a  cousin  of  yours  whom  we  both 
knew?"  Neither  of  us  could  recall  it.  We  finally 
gave  it  up,  but  days  afterward  it  came  into  my  mind 
although  I  was  then  not  even  thinking  of  it. 

We  should  not  be  too  prompt  to  blame  a  pupil  who 
declares:  "I  know,  but  I  cannot  tell."  Perhaps  he 
has  not  the  ready  language  with  which  to  clothe  his 
ideas.  Possibly  his  sub-consciousness  is  not  prepared 
to  reproduce  what  the  mind,  in  truth,  possesses.  We 
have,  all  of  us,  been  in  the  same  position  and  needed 
time  in  which  to  collect  our  ideas.  Instead  of  scolding 
or  punishing,  give  the  boy  time  to  reflect,  and  encour- 
age him  to  exercise  his  powers  of  recollection. 

Recollection  is  memory  vitalized.    The  will  is  called 

to  our  aid.     The  laws  of  association  are  appealed  to; 

ideas  of  time,  place,  and  circumstance  are 

Kinds  of  called  upon  to  help  rebuild  that  which  the 
recollection.        .     ,    ,  ^    ,        .,      \_.         ,    •  ,       •  ,  t-u-     • 

mind  has  for  the   time  laid  aside,      ihis  is 

what  is  often  called  voluntarv  memorv. 


Me  mory  26y 

On  the  other  hand,  invohmtary  memory  calls  up, 
without  any  conscious  effort  on  our  part,  some  past 
experience  which  the  mind  contains.  This  is  what  we 
mean  when  we  speak  of  remembrance.  We  cannot 
always  control  this  kind  of  memory.  We  ought  not, 
therefore,  to  chide  too  harshly  a  child  for  inattention. 
His  mind  is  busy  with  some  remembrance;  for 
instance,  he  is  associating  the  ball  game  of  yesterday 
with  the  one  he  is  to  play  after  school.  He  is  very 
attentive — but  it  is  to  a  remembrance  rather  than  to 
the  lesson  in  hand.  The  only  remedy  is  to  make  the 
lesson  so  interesting  as  for  a  time  to  shut  the  ball  game 
out  of  his  mind.  At  times  some  motives  must  be 
placed  before  him,  or  his  will  must  be  stimulated  so  as 
to  interrupt,  for  the  present,  this  stream  of  remem- 
brances upon  which  he  loves  to  float. 

It  follows  that  if  a  child  has  studied  a  lesson  until  he 
has  made  the  ideas  contained  in  it  his  own,  he  will 
naturally  fall  into  the  habit  of  using  the  words  of  the 
book  which  he  has  studied.  The  idea  will  come  to  his 
mind,  clothed  in  the  words  in  which  it  was  presented 
to  the  mind.  A  memoriter  recitation  is  not  of  neces- 
sity an  evil;  it  becomes  an  evil  only  when  the  teacher 
regards  it  as  the  criterion  of  a  good  recitation. 

The  tendency  is  to  forget  that  memory  precedes 
reason  and  judgment.  The  power  to  reason  correctly 
is  an  outgrowth  which  comes  to  maturity  late  in  the 
child's  education.  It  does  not  make  its  appearance 
until  the  storehouse  of  memory  has  a  generous  supply 
of  facts  upon  which  reason  may  base  its  theory.  It  is 
not  always  a  misapplication  of  time  and  effort  to 
require   the  child  to  memorize  a  mass  of  dry  facts. 

It  is  not  a  waste  of  time  to  place  the  rough,  unsightly 
stones  in   the    ground   for  the  foundation,   before  the 


268  Com?no7i    Sense    Didactics 

building  is  raised.  The  building  itself  may  have  the 
proportions  of  the  Parthenon.  Its  pillars  may  be 
crowned  with  the  delicate  tracery  of  the 
of  memory  Corinthian  order,  or  they  may  preserve  the 
and  recol-  severe  simplicity  of  the  Doric  or  the  Tuscan. 
Towers  and  turrets  may  rise  from  solid 
walls  supported  by  massive  buttresses,  but  if  the 
foundations  are  not  compact  and  firm,  the  skill  of  the 
architect  and  the  labor  of  the  workman  will  not  pre- 
vent the  utter  ruin  of  the  edifice. 

If  we  neglect  the  cultivation  of  the  child's  memory, 
we  leave  him  destitute  of  that  upon  which  reason  and 
judgment  must  be  based.  The  child  comes  to  the  reci- 
tation to  recite.  He  is  to  recite  not  what  he  has  dis- 
covered by  his  own  efforts,  but  what  he  has  learned 
from  his  book.  If  he  has  committed  his  lesson  word 
for  word,  it  is  not  a  mortal  sin.  The  foundation  for 
the  next  step  is  complete. 

If  he  has  learned  it — as  is  too  often  the  case,  in  our 
dislike  for  memoriter  work — in  a  careless,  slipshod, 
J^,  ^  half-guessing  way,  he  should  be  sent  back 
involves  to  his  seat  to  prepare  his  lessons.  To  "help 
study.  j^jj^^  out"  by  questions,  to  attempt  to  draw 

out  his  ideas  when,  in  fact,  he  has  no  ideas  about  it, 
is  to  do  him  an  injury.  He  may  need  explanations 
upon  difficult  points,  but  it  is  not  his  teacher's  business 
to  master  his  lesson  for  him.  After  his  lesson  is 
learned,  and  he  gives  evidence,  by  his  recitation,  of 
hard  study,  then  his  teacher  may  and  ought  to  question 
him  closely  and  keenly,  in  order  to  bring  out  the  ideas 
of  the  author  and  to  ascertain  to  what  extent  they 
have  been  made  his  own.  There  is  no  good  school 
without  earnest  study,  and  he  is  not  a  good  teacher 
who  does  not  require  it.     (See  page  i8.) 


Me  niory  *  26g 

With  the  youngest  children,  especially,  diligent 
study  involves  the  use  of  memory.  What  they  remem- 
ber they  should  be  required  to  remember  accurately; 
what  they  state,  they  should  be  required  to  state  accu- 
rately. The  greatest  abuse  of  memory,  the  abuse  from 
which  our  schools  have  the  most  to  fear,  is  to  leave 
it  unused  and  untrained.  I  do  not  assert  that  no  other 
faculty  is  to  be  called  into  service.  I  do,  however, 
assert  that  a  ready  and  accurate  memory,  as  an  essen- 
tial element  in  the  child's  education,  is  to  be  carefully 
cultivated. 

It  is  said  of  William  M.  Evarts,  who  was  one  of  the 
most  famous  lawyers  of  his  day,  and  who  was  called  to 
fill  many  high  offices,  that  in  his  youth  he  found  that 
he  could  not  depend  upon  his  memory,  even  to  recall 
the  events  of  the  day.  He  at  once  set  himself  the 
task  of  correcting  this  fault.  At  noon  he  would  recall 
all  the  events  of  the  morning,  and  Saturday  night  he 
went  over  in  his  mind  the  occurrences  of  the  week.  He 
continued  this  habit  until  he  had  his  memory  trained 
so  that  he  could  depend  upon  it.  He  was  accustomed, 
in  later  years,  to  say  that  his  success  in  life  was  to  be 
attributed  to  his  ready,  accurate  memory. 

It  is  said,  with  some  truth,  that  our  schools  fail  to 
make  good  scholars.  One  reason  is  to  be  found  in 
that  style  of  teaching  which  substitutes  the  Miscella- 
crudest  oral  work  in  place  of  a  carefully  neous. 
prepared  text-book;  which  assumes  that  the  pupil  is  to 
be  only  a  passive  recipient  of  such  knowledge  as  his 
instructor  prepares  for  him — knowledge  which  does  not 
stimulate  him  to  work,  to  grow  strong  with  mental 
exercise,  but  sends  him  out  to  face  the  real  difficulties 
of  life  with  neither  ability  to  think  nor  courage  to 
execute. 


2J0  Common    Sense    Didactic s 

We  are  charged  with  cramming  the  children.  There 
is  no  occasion  for  cramming,  where  hard  study  has 
been  the  rule.  If  the  child  comes  to  the  upper  grades 
unprepared  for  assiduous  work;  if  his  statements  are 
inaccurate;  if  his  memory  is  not  to  be  trusted;  then 
either  he  crams  continually  to  pass  his  examination,  or 
frets  and  worries  over  his  failures  until  he  leaves  the 
school  in  disgust.  It  is  not  true  that  a  ready  memory 
always  indicates  a  good  scholar;  but  it  is  true  that 
many  good  scholars  find  their  work  doubled  because  they 
were  not  trained  in  youth  to  rely  upon  their  memory. 

Dr.  Hammond  writes,  in  a  recent  work,  that  many 
children  are  injured  by  the  study  required  of  them  out 
of  school.  He  may  state  the  fact  correctly;  yet  a 
more  intimate  acquaintance  with  our  public  school 
system  would  perhaps  convince  him  that  during  the 
child's  first  years  at  school,  a  training  having  especial 
reference  to  the  use  and  abuse  of  memory  would  render 
those  studies,  which  are  now  so  injurious,  only  those 
needful  to  a  healthy  mental  growth. 

Few  children  are  ever  harmed  by  simple,  honest 
brain  work.  The  brain,  wonderful  in  its  mechan*  :m, 
delicate  in  its  texture,  the  birthplace  of  great  ideas, 
the  home  of  spiritual  life,  works  in  perfect  harmony 
with  all  the  baser  organs,  when  nature  stands  as  warden 
at  the  gate.  Do  not  forget  that  memory,  as  an  active 
power  connecting  the  present  with  the  past,  is 

Man's  Best  Servant. 
Quotations  Worth  Reading 

WHA  T  IS  MEMOR  Yf 

Memory  is  the  result  of  attention,  and  attention  is  the  concen- 
tration of  all  the  powers  of  the  mind  upon  the  matter  in  hand. 
The  art  of  memory  is  largely  based  upon  the  art  of  paying 

attention. 

—Selected. 


Me  m  0  ry  2']i 

Memory  is  the  store-house  in  which  are  deposited  the  sensa- 
tions, the  facts  and  the  ideas,  whose  different  combinations  form 
what  is  called  intelligence. 

— Helvetius. 

When  the  mind  acts  in  such  a  way  that  it  records,  retains  and 
restores  the  ideas  gained  by  its  own  activity,  it  is  said  to  perform 
an  act  of  memory. 

—Dexter  and  Garlick. 

In  order  that  the  memory  shall  be  counted  excellent  the  indi- 
vidual must  show  readiness  in  acquisition,  tenacity  in  retention, 
and  promptness  in  reproduction  and  recognition. 

-H.  T.  Smith. 
CULTIVATION. 

The  first  condition  for  cultivating  the  memory  is  forming  habits 
of  fixed  attention.  Nothing  can  be  remembered  that  is  not 
attended  to.  A  second  condition  for  cultivating  the  memory  is 
order.     A  third  condition  is  repetition. 

—Mark  Hopkins. 

One  must  put  thought  into  the  act  of  memory.  The  memory 
if  only  strong  enough  to  retain  a  single  item  with  effort  will  grow 
stronger  by  that  effort,  will  soon  retain  two  items,  and  finally 
others  in  vast  numbers  and  without  effort. 

—  IVilliam  T.  Harris. 

That  memory  may  perform  its  functions  without  failure  it  is 
necessary  that  an  idea  should  be  forcibly  impressed  upon  the 
mind  at  once,  or  that  it  should  be  repeated  a  sufficient  number  of 
times  to  make  a  deep  impression. 

— James  Johonnot. 

Colburn's  rules  for  memory  study  are  worth  careful  thought, 
(i)  Learn  one  thing  at  a  time;  (2)  Learn  it  thoroughly;  (3)  Learn 
its  connection  with  other  things. 

Baldwin's  Rules:  (i)  Take  a  deep  interest  in  what  you  study; 
(2)  Give  your  entire  attention  to  what  you  study;  (3)  Thoroughly 
assimilate  and  associate  the  old  and  the  new ;  (4)  Push  effort  to 
complete  mastery. 

—Joseph  Baldwin. 

Joseph  Baldwin  enumerates  these  mistakes  in  memory  culture : 
(i)  Stated  examinations  and  reviews  at  long  intervals;  (2)  Giving 
words  without  ideas ;  (3)  Memorizing  what  has  not  come  into  the 
experience;  (4)  Studying  from  books  instead  of  Nature;  (5) 
Crowding  the  mind  with  non-essentials. 

RECOLLECTION. 

Recollection  is  memory  under  control  and  direction  of  the  will. 
By  utilizing  the  laws  of  association  and  suggestion  the  will 
rebuilds  a  former  experience,  slowly  or  rapidly  as  the  degree  of 
familiarity  may  permit. 

—  A.R.  Taylor. 


2y2  Co)nmo?i    Seiisc    Didactics 

Recollecting  is  remembering  by  an  effort  of  -wilt.  All  recol- 
lecting is  remembering,  but  all  remembering  is  not  recollecting. 
Recollecting  is  a  kind  of  remembering. 

— /.  P.  Gordy. 

KINDS  OF  MEMOR  Y. 

In  education  what  may  be  described  as  a  "local"  or  "verbal" 
memory  is  of  slight  influence  in  comparison  with  an  intelligent  or 
rationalizing  memory. 

— Henry  Calderivood. 

Memory  may  be  distinguished  as  spontaneous  and  intentional. 
In  spontaneous  memory  the  will  is  passive,  the  representative  act 
being  involuntary;  in  intentional  memory  the  will  is  active  and 
directing,  and  the  representative  act  is  voluntary. 

—Emerson  E.  White. 

Kant  classifies  memories  as  follows: 

1.  The  Mechanical  Memory,  which  depends  on  associations  by 
contiguities. 

2.  The  Ingenious  Memory,  which  endeavors  to  trace  out  more 
or  less  fanciful  similarity,  between  things.  Mnemonics  are  an 
outcome  of  this  type  of  memory. 

3.  The  Judicious  Memory,  which  depends  mainly  upon  the 
natural  working  of  the  law  of  similarity. 

—Dexter  and  Garlick. 
ADVANTA  GES  OF  MEMOR  Y  AND  RECOLLECTION. 

If  the  powers  of  observation,  attention,  memory  and  discrim- 
ination are  rightly  trained  in  school  the  whole  after-life  of  the 
pupil  may  become  a  continuous  source  of  education;  for  in 
society,  as  in  school,  the  sources  of  knowledge  are  reading,  con- 
versation, observation  and  reflection. 

—John  Swett. 

"Experience  teaches  us,"  says  Dr.  Schwab,  of  Germany, 
"more  and  more,  from  day  to  day,  that  a  child  will  retain  in  its 
memory  only  what  is  incorporated  into  its  life.  It  will  forget 
what  it  has  seen  or  heard,  but  rarely  or  never  what  it  has  accom- 
plished through  its  own  efforts." 

—Selected. 

MISCELLA  NEOUS. 

That  only  is  to  be  learned  by  rote  that  is  unchangeable. 
Extracts  of  poetry,  and  sometimes  of  prose,  those  crystals  of 
thought  that  must  remain  as  pure,  as  durable  as  the  diamond, 
may  well  be  memorized  and  made  familiar. 

—George  Hotvland. 

The  activity  of  this  power  (memory)  is,  in  fact,  the  measure  of 
the  child's  growth  in  mental  stature  and  strength. 

—Russell's  ''Lecture  to  Young  Teachers." 


Me  mory  2'/j 

The  words  that  are  recited  and  written  to-day  should  be  woven 
and  wreathed  into  other  figures  and  expressions  to-morrow,  and 
thus  repetition,  one  of  the  most  efficient  means  of  memory's  aid 
becomes  invested  with  all  the  charm  of  novelty. 

—George  Howland. 

An  unnatural  memory  may  be  produced  at  the  cost  of  reason, 
judgment  and  imagination,  or  the  emotional  aptitudes.  This  is 
not  a  desirable  result. 

—Selected. 

Questions  for  Examination 

7.  Define  memory. 

2.  Name  the  three  steps  which  constitute  the  art  of  memory. 
J.  How  may  memory  be  cultivated? 
4,   How  cultivate  an  exact  memory? 
J-.  What  is  recollection?     How  different  from  memory? 
.    6.   Is  it  always  wrong  for  the  child  to  recite  in  the  words  of  his 
book?     Explain. 

7.  What  is  the  relation  of  study  to  memory? 

8.  Distinguish  between  voluntary  and  involuntary  memory. 

9.  Define  verbal  memory. 

JO.  What  is  the  effect  upon  memory  of  special  training  in  one 
subject  alone' 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

1.  What  do  you  think  of  memory  exercises? 

2.  Is  memory  of  equal  importance  with  imagination,  reason, 

etc.? 
J.  What  is  meant  by  association  of  ideas? 

4.  Of  what  educational  treatise  is  Herbert  Spencer  the  author? 
J*.  Who  was  Horace  Mann? 


CHAPTER  XV 

IMAGINATION,  ATTENTION,  INTEREST 

"The  Tunes  Are  Left  Forever  in  the  Strings" 

The  village  laborer,  with  the  reverent  heart,  can  be  as  wise  as 
the  wisest  thinker  and  with  equal  justice.  They  are  both  full  of 
light.     Neither  wants  more. 

— Edward  Thring. 

The  imagination  is  the  very  secret  and  marrow  of  civilization. 
It  is  the  very  eye  of  faith.  The  soul  without  imagination  is  what 
an  observatory  would  be  without  a  telescope. 

—  Henry  Ward  Beecher. 

We  have  long  heard  a  good  deal  about  interest  as  a  means,  but 
interest  as  an  end  jis  destined  to  have  high  value  in  the  modern 
school.  "Knowledge,"  says  Herbart,  "shall  pass  away,  but 
interest  remains." 

— Samuel  T.  Dutton. 

Sympathy  between  teacher  and  taught  is  a  great  means  of 
maintaining  the  attention.  The  sympathetic  teacher  may  have 
to  work  in  a  badly  lighted,  badly  warmed  school,  and  his  teaching 
may  not  be  psychologically  sound,  yet  notwithstanding  these 
drawbacks  he  will  succeed  in  securing  attention. 

—Dexter  and  Garlic k. 

NOAH  PORTER  defines  imagination   to  be  "the 
power  to  re-combine  anew  materials  furnished 
by  experience."      It   is,  in  fact,  so  closely  combined 
with  the  act  of  memory  that  one  cannot  be 
ti'on       '^        intelligently    discussed    without    reference 
to  the  other. 
I  remember  the  old  schoolhouse  which  I  attended  in 
my  youth.    At  once  memory  and  imagination  combine 
to  call   up  the  scene.     The  form  of  the  building,  the 
doorway,  the  interior,  the  arrangement  of  the  desks, 
the  mates  who  met  me  there,  memory  recalls  them  one 

274 


Imaginatioji,  Attention^  Interest       ^75 

by  one;  and  as  I  dwell  upon  them,  imagination  pre- 
sents to  my  mind  a  perfect  picture  of  the  scene  as  I 
once  knew  it.  Children  have  naturally  very  vivid 
imaginations;  the  mental  images  which  they  form  may 
not  always  be  correct,  but  they  are  keen  and  clear  cut. 

Mental  images  are  of  two  kinds;  those  which  arise 
from  remembering  what  we  have  learned  by  the  use  of 
one  or  more  of  our  perceptive  powers,  and  those  which 
arise  from  pictures  and  descriptions,  paintings  of 
things  which  we  have  not  seen  but  in  which  we  are 
intensely  interested.  The  latest  authorities  call  the 
first  kind  of  imagination  Reproductive,  and  the  second 
Constructive. 

We  indulge,  at  times,  in   reminiscences;  the  past  is 
summoned   and   old   time   friends,   pleasant   days,  and 
events   in   which   we    took    part  years   ago    j?  ^    d 
come  fresh  and  vividly  to  mind.     We  pic-     tivezmagi- 
ture    real    scenes  which  once  existed,  and     ^^(^t^on. 
listen  to  voices  which  have  long  since  passed  away. 

And  old  time  friends  and  twilight  plays 
And  starry  nights  and  sunny  days 
Come  trooping  up  their  misty  ways, 
And  life  is  young  again. 

How  does  this  differ  from  memory?  I  remember  a 
person  who  lived  in  a  certain  place.  The  name  is 
familiar  to  me.  I  know  the  town  in  which  he  resided, 
and  the  circumstances  about  him.  But  I  cannot  recall 
his  features  nor  anything  of  his  personality.  In  refer- 
ence to  another  person,  also,  my  memory  serves  me  to 
fix  his  location,  the  years  in  which  I  knew  him,  and 
the  circumstances  of  his  life.  But,  in  addition,  my 
imagination  enables  me  to  reproduce  his  features,  his 
form,  his  voice,  so  that  he  exists  as  a  living  reality  in 
my  thoughts.     I  can  see  the  color  of  his  eyes  and  hair, 


2y6  Co7nmo?i   Sense  Didactics 

the  cast  of  his  features,  his  height,  and  general  appear- 
ance; and  thus  I  rebuild  the  mental  image  through  the 
aid  of  my  imagination. 

We  obtain  satisfactory  results  only  when  reproduc- 
tive imagination  and  memory  mutually  assist  each 
other. 

Constructive  imagination  serves  another  purpose. 
The  child  hears  the  fairy  tale  as  his  mother  reads  it  to 
^  him,  and    at   once    he   conceives  a  mental 

tiveimagi-  picture  which,  for  the  time  being,  is  as  real 
nation.  ^^  j^jj^  ^^  though  it  were  present  before  his 

eyes.  So  in  his  history  and  geography  there  is  but 
little  which  brings  up  past  experiences,  and  yet  he 
constructs  images  of  events,  of  famous  buildings  or 
noted  persons;  he  travels  over  different  routes  and 
scans  the  landscapes,  as  eagerly  as  the  actual  traveler. 

The  right  cultivation  and  use  of  the  imagination  is 
worthy  of  important  consideration  on  the  part  of  the 
teacher.  "Imagination  is  the  spiritual  power  to  which 
all  instruction  turns,  and  upon  whose  cooperation  the 
success  of  all  instruction  depends.  The  pupil  appre- 
hends the  words  of  instruction  only  when  his  imagina- 
tion succeeds  in  illustrating  them  by  corresponding 
images." 

The  child  has  a  very  active  imagination,  and  often 
he  so  constructs  images  that  to  him  they  seem  alive. 
He  tells  you  what  you  know  to  be  untrue,  but  in  his 
own  mind  he  is  not  able  to  distinguish  between  the 
true  and  the  false.  He  is  not  conscious  of  any  attempt 
to  deceive,  and  yet  he  is  accused  of  lying  and  perhaps 
is  punished.  We  sometimes  say,  "Where  did  the 
child  get  that  idea?"  He  got  it  from  something  which 
he  heard  you  say  and  which  was  not  intended  for  his 
ears;  he  listened  to  you  as  you  read  something  to  the 


I?nagination,  Atte7ttio7i,  Interest        2"]^ 

school  which  he  but  half  understood,  and  his  imagina- 
tion supplied^the  rest;  he  saw  an  incident  in  the  street, 
on  his  way  to  school,  and  gathered  there  the  materials 
for  his  constructive  image. 

Children  live  real  lives  through  their  imagination. 
The  doll  which  the  little  girl  dresses  and  undresses, 
fondles  and  sings  to  sleep,  is  her  child.  A 
wise  mother  takes  advantage  of  this  and  the  child. 
teaches  her  to  cut  and  sew  the  doll's 
dresses,  to  make  up  the  bed  in  which  it  sleeps,  to  wash 
its  clothes,  and  to  care  for  it  in  many  ways.  The  little 
boy  rides  his  stick,  and  in  his  imagination  it  is  a  real 
horse.  Soon  he  has  a  place  for  it  which  he  calls  a 
stable.  After  a  time  he  discards  it  for  a  rocking  horse, 
because  that  is  nearer  his  ideal.  Anon  he  wants  his 
wheelbarrow  and  shovel  that  he  may  be  at  work  in  his 
garden  or  on  his  farm.  In  all  phases  of  child  life  the 
imagination  plays  an  important  part,  and  is  a  source  of 
enjoyment  to  the  child.  It  is  often  a  spur  to  his 
ingenuity  and  aids  materially  in  developing  his  powers 
of  invention.  That  which  attracts  his  attention  he 
wishes  to  imitate.  To  do  this,  he  invents  the  means, 
or  converts  to  his  use  those  already  existing.  Thus 
the  circus  which  he  and  his  mates  plan  in  the  barn  is 
just  as  real  as  the  one  they  saw  last  week  in  the  tent.  It 
gives  them  greater  pleasure  because  they  are  the  actors. 

The  imagination  needs  both  direction  and  cultivation: 

1.  Furnish  the  child  in  various  ways  with   a  fund  of 
ideas  or  of  material  suitable  for  the  exercise  of  imagi- 
nation.    This  is  largely  oral  work,  but  the  ^^.^^  ^^.^ 
teacher  may  have  recourse  to  story  books,   andcultiva- 
tales,  and  pictures.  ^^*^^- 

2.  Give  him  the  opportunity  to  exercise  his  repro- 
ductive imagination  by  recalling  this  knowledge,  and  by 


2y8  Commo7i   Sense  Didactic s 

painting  in  words  what  he  has  in  mind.  He  may  be  en- 
couraged to  do  this  by  drawing  on  his  slate  or  on  paper. 

3.  Give  the  child  paper  cutting,  clay  modeling,  illus- 
trative drawing,  pictures,  descriptive  writing.  At 
times  direct  him,  but  at  other  times  let  his  ingenuity 
be  his  guide. 

4.  He  should  exercise  his  constructive  imagination 
in  his  language  work.  Let  him  invent  his  tales  and 
illustrate  them,  or  construct  them  from  pictures  and 
paintings  and  works  of  art. 

5.  "Imagination  is  the  great  instrument  by  which 
we  'proceed  from^the  known  to  the  unknown';  it  must 
therefore  be  brought  into  play  in  all  fruitful  acquisi- 
tion." If  we  attempt  to  follow  the  well-known  maxim, 
"from  the  known  to  the  unknown,"  the  above  quota- 
ion  is  true. 

Keep  the  child's  imagination  clean  and  sweet;  let  it 
exercise  itself  upon  things  pure  and  wholesome,  but 
J.  .  do  not  thwart  it  nor  discourage  its  develop-- 

imagina-  ment.  Every  architect  has  the  plan  in  his 
tton.  mind  before  he  puts  it  upon  paper.     The 

inventor  appeals  to  his  imagination  for  assistance  in 
bringing  his  invention  to  perfection.  The  student  of 
history  plunges  into  the  wilderness  and  helps  the  first 
settler  build  his  log  cabin;  he  goes  on  to  the  field  and 
hears  the  roar  of  the  battle;  in  the  Senate  chamber  he 
listens  to  the  eloquence  of  Webster  or  Clay;  and  all 
this  by  the  aid  of  his  imagination. 

The  imagination  helps  the  child  to  think,  especially 
in  the  reading  lesson.  He  cannot  read  with  any  emo- 
tion, with  any  intelligent  idea  of  the  author's  thought, 
unless  he  sees  with  the  author's  eyes,  hears  with  his 
ears,  and  feels  with  his  heart.  An  old  author  says: 
"When  thou  readest,  look  steadfastly  with  the  mind  at 


Imagination,  Attention^  Interest        2yg 

the  things  which  the  words  signify.  If  there  be  ques- 
tion of  mountains,  let  them  loom  before  thee;  if  of  the 
ocean,  let  its  billows  roll  before  thy  eyes.  This  habit 
will  give  to  thy  voice  even  pliancy  and  meaning." 

Do  not  be  too  ready  to  blame  the  child  for  his  day 
dreams,  and  accuse  him  of  idleness.  Some  day  the 
dreams  may  wax  real,  and  because  of  them 

the   life  of    the  world  become  easier  and     Th^  child's 

,  T     •  1  ,  -,  ,  ,  fantasies. 

more  cheery.     It  is  true  that  children  have 

strange  and  curious  imaginings — some  call  them  fan- 
tasies— which  seem  to  arise  from  attempts  to  think  of 
things  far  above  their  comprehension. 

To  ask  a  child  to  tell  us  what  is  his  idea  of  God  or 
the  angels  is  to  ask  him  questions  which  the  most 
learned  theologians  cannot  answer.  Yet  certain  wise 
school  men  do  this  and  laugh  at  the  crudity  of  the 
replies.  A  little  girl,  coming  home  from  a  walk  with 
her  father,  asked  her  mother,  "Mamma,  didn't  God 
make  everything?"  "Certainly,  my  dear;  why  do  you 
ask  me  that?"  "Well,  I  saw  him  this  morning." 
"Saw  whom?"  "I  saw  God.  He  was  in  a  black- 
smith's shop  finishing  off  a  horse  he  had  just  made. 
He  had  him  all  done  except  his  shoes." 

Dr.  Hillis  calls  the  imagination  the  vision  faculty. 
"It  is  also  given  to  this  vision  faculty  to  redeem  men 
out  of  oppression  and  misfortune,  and 
through  its  intimations  of  royalty  to  lend  ^'^^  vision 
victory  and  peace.  Oft  the  days  are  full 
cf  storms  and  turbulence;  oft  events  grow  bad  as  heart 
can  wish;  full  oft  the  next  step  promises  the  precipice. 
There  are  periods  in  every  career  when  troubles  are  so 
strangely  increased  that  the  world  seems  like  an  orb 
let  loose  to  wander  widely  through  space.  In  these 
dark  hours  some  endure  their  pain  and  trouble  through 


28o  Common   Sense  Didactics 

dogged,  stoical  toughness.  Then,  men  imitate  the  tur- 
tle as  it  draws  in  its  head  and  neck,  saying  to  misfor- 
tune: 'Behold  the  shell,  and  beat  on  that. '  But,  God 
be  thanked!  victory  over  trouble  has  been  ordained. 
In  the  blackest  hour  of  the  storm  it  is  given  to  the 
vision  faculty  to  lift  man  into  the  realm  of  tranquillity. 
As  travelers  in  the  jungle  climb  the  trees  at  night  and 
draw  the  ladder  up  after  them,  and  dwell  above  the 
reach  of  wild  beasts  and  serpents,  so  the  soul  in  its 
higher  moods  ascends  into  the  realms  of  peace  and  rest. 
In  that  dark  hour  just  before  Jesus  Christ  entered  into 
the  cold  and  darkness,  and  fronted  his  grievous  suffer- 
ing, he  called  his  disciples  about  him,  and  uttered  that 
discourse  beginning:  'Let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled'. 
Strange  wonder  words,  words  of  matchless  genius  and 
beauty." 

The  following,  taken  from  the  School  and  Schoolmaster, 
illustrates  the  use  to  which  the  imagination  may  some- 
times be  put  in  dealing  with  children:  "A  lad  of  some 
talent,  who  had  failed  to  be  influenced  by  the  rod,  by 
medals,  by  the  desire  of  pleasing  his  friends,  or  fear  or 
love  of  his  instructor,  was  awakened  as  from  a  sleep 
by  a  striking  picture  of  the  miserable  condition  of  an 
old  age  spent  without  any  of  the  resources  which  love 
of  books  can  give.  What  was  immediately  before  him 
did  not  touch  him;  but  his  imagination  passed  over 
youth  and  manhood,  of  which  he  felt  secure,  and  dwelt 
upon  old  age;  and  the  desire  of  being,  at  that  period 
of  his  life,  surrounded  by  friends  and  books,  set  him 
seriously  at  work." 

The  art  of  paying  attention  is  the  art  of  concentrat- 
ing all  the  powers  of  the  mind  upon  the 
Attention.  u-     ^         ,   ^  •  .       .• 

subject  under  consideration. 

Attention  is  not  a  special  function  of  the  mind,  like 


1 7na gination,  Attention,  Interest        281 

memory.  It  is  rather,  as  Dr.  Hinsdale  very  aptly  says 
in  his  Art  of  Study,  an  intellectual  state  or  condition  of 
the  mind.  The  authors  of  Psychology  in  the  Schoolroom 
use  the  following  illustrations  which  any  teacher  can 
verify  out  of  his  own  experience. 

(a)  "Suppose  I  am  looking  at  a  small  object  by  arti- 
ficial light.  I  cannot  see  it  distinctly.  I  interpose  a 
lens  between  my  eye  and  the  object.  The  light  is  con- 
centrated on  the  object  and  I  see  it  distinctly.  Now 
conscious7iess,  like  light,  seems  to  increase  in  vividness 
in  proportion  as  it  is  concentrated  on  one  spot." 

(b)  "Two  boys  are  talking  in  an  undertone  in  the 
class.  The  teacher  is  dimly  conscious  of  a  noise  in  the 
room;  he  thinks  there  is  a  noise,  but  is  not  certain. 
He  begins  to  listen,  to  concentrate  his  mind,  as  it 
were,  upon  the  supposed  sound.  He  identifies  it  as  a 
sound  of  conversation,  and  localizes  the  sound  as  com- 
ing from  the  two  boys  who  are  talking.  The  boys  are 
talking  no  louder  at  the  conclusion  than  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  incident,  but  the  teacher  has  by  his  act  of 
attention  given  greater  distinctness  and  vividness  to 
his  consciousness." 

But  how  shall  the  teacher  command  and  retain  the 
attention  of  the  class?  The  first  duty  of  the  teacher  is 
to  determine  in  his  own  mind  that  he  will 
have  the  attention  of  the  class,  and  that  he  ^^tl^,,l%n''^'^ 
will  not  put  up  with  inattention  or  indiffer- 
ence. Hart,  in  his  In  the  Schoolroom,  says:  "This  is 
half  the  battle.  Let  him  settle  it  with  himself,  that 
until  he  does  this,  he  is  doing  nothing;  that  without 
the  attention  of  his  scholars,  he  is  no  more  a  teacher 
than  is  the  chair  he  occupies.  If  he  is  not  plus,  he  is 
zero,  if  not  actually  minus.  With  this  truth  fully  real- 
ized, he  will  come  before  his  class  resolved  to  have  a 


282  Common   Se?ise   Didactics 

hearing;  and  this  very  resolution,  written  as  it  will  be 
all  over  him,  will  have  its  effect  upon  his  scholars. 
Children  are  quick  to  discern  the  mental  attitude  of  a 
teacher.  They  know,  as  if  by  instinct,  whether  he  is 
in  earnest  or  not,  and  in  all  ordinary  cases  they  yield 
without  disputes  to  a  claim  thus  resolutely  put." 

A  teacher  once  said  to  me,  "In  some  way  I  fail  to 
get  the  attention  of  the  class.  About  half  of  them 
seem  to  be  interested;  the  other  half  are  thinking  of 
something  else."  In  a  few  days  I  spent  an  hour  in 
her  room,  listening  to  a  recitation.  After  the  class 
passed  out,  I  was  able  to  say  to  her,  "Your  failure  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  the  pupils  do  not  believe  you  are 
in  earnest.  Once  I  notice  you  said,  'Please  give  me 
your  attention.'  For  a  moment  they  complied  with 
your  request,  and  the  next  moment  their  minds  were 
off  on  an  excursion  somewhere.  Your  request  should 
have  been  less  of  a  request,  and  more  of  a  command. 
My  advice  is  that  you  proceed  to  impress  upon  your 
class  that  you  will  not  tolerate  inattention.  For  the 
next  week  or  two  make  the  inattentive  pupils  do  most 
of  the  reciting.  In  gaining  attention  there  is  some- 
times as  much  occasion  to  use  your  authority  as  there 
is  in  governing  the  room.  You  have  a  good  degree  of 
will  power.  Make  use  of  it  in  gaining  and  holding  the 
attention  of  your  classes." 

Attention,  like  memory,  may  be  of  two  kinds,  volun- 
tary and  involuntary.  Baldwin,  however,  in  his  Psy- 
chology of  the  Art  of  Teaching,  does  not  ad m  i  t 
attention.  ^^  ^^'^  division,  but  insists  that  attention  is 
always  voluntary.  Something  startles  me, 
and  attracts  my  attention.  My  will  has  nothing  to  do 
with  it,  and  involuntarily  I  look  out  of  the  window.  I 
hear  an  unusual  noise  in  the  street.     If,  however,  the 


Imagination,  Attention,  Iiiterest        28j 

matter  proves  to  be  of  such  importance  that  I  continue 

to  give  it  my  attention,  possibly  going  out  to  find  the 

occasion  of  the  disturbance,  then  my  attention  becomes 

voluntary;  it  is  under  the  control  of  the  will. 

It    is    not    necessary  to   discuss    this    point  further. 

How  to    cultivate    the   attention    is  of  far 

T,     .      ,,        r         A    .'         Cultivation 
greater  importance.     It   is  the  toundation  of  attention. 

upon   which    scholarship,    study,    and    the 

daily  recitations  rest.     Without  it  time  is  wasted,  and 

the  efforts  of  the  best  teacher  fail. 

Let  me  remark  here  that  attention  and  the  control 
of  the  will  after  awhile  take  on  the  nature  of  a  habit, 
and  can  be  cultivated,  as  any  other  habit  is  cultivated, 
by  a  resolute  persistence  in  doing. 

Cultivate  attention  by  requiring  attention.  You  do 
your  pupils  great  harm  when  you  allow  a  recitation  to 
go  on  while  the  class  is  inattentive.  Pause  for  a 
moment,  and  wait  quietly  until  the  pupils  give  you 
their  attention.  Sometimes  a  motion  of  the  hand,  a 
glance  of  the  eye,  a  question  given  to  the  right 
scholar,  will  accomplish  the  desired  result. 

The  will  power  of  the  teacher,  a  ready  and  compre- 
hensive knowledge  of  the  subject,  an  intense  interest 
in  the  lesson,  will  prove  of  great  assistance.  Do  not 
stop  in  the  midst  of  the  recitation  to  scold  or  disci- 
pline a  pupil  or  to  answer  questions  except  such  as  are 
unavoidable.  When  the  thought  of  the  class  is  fixed 
upon  the  lesson,  to  break  the  continuity  is  to  distract 
attention.  Too  many  teachers  are  thoughtless  in  this 
respect.      (See  page  237.) 

Again,  children  will  not  give  attention  to  those 
things  toward  which  they  are  indifferent.  You 
cannot  command  attention  unless  you  can  stimulate 
an  interest  in  the  child's  mind,  or  awaken  his  curiosity, 


284  Common   Sense  Didactics 

which  is  only  his  desire  to  know.  Read  this  quotation 
carefully:  "Attention,  the  indispensable  condition  of 
J-    ..jr.  all  mastery,  follows  the  lead  of  interest,  and 

ence,  a  km-  is  steaaied  and  given  purpose  by  it.  Inter- 
drance.  ^^^  jg  aroused  by  a  proper  relating  of  the 
novel  and  the  familiar.  Voluntary  attention  sets  the 
mind  to  the  performance  of  a  given  piece  of  work; 
involuntary  attention  holds  the  mind  to  the  work." 

It  is  perfectly  right  to  say  to  a  pupil,  "You  must 
give  your  attention  to  this  lesson,"  but  your  com- 
mand will  not  accomplish  anything  unless  you  can 
convince  him  there  is  something  there  worth  attend- 
ing to. 

Let  me,  however,  add  this  thought.  If  the  child  is 
to  be  fitted  for  life,  he  must  be  so  trained  in  the  school 
that  he  can  by  force  of  will  lend  his  attention  to  the 
work  which  must  be  done  then  and  there,  although  it 
may  not  be  at  the  time  altogether  to  his  liking.  How 
often  do  we  compel  ourselves  to  attend  to  some  matter 
in  hand,  although  the  heart  is  drawn  in  another  direc- 
tion. 

By  training  and  exercising  the  attention  the  business 
man  renders  it  of  the  greatest  service  to  himself,  and 
he  does  not  want  a  clerk  about  his  store  or  his  office 
who  has  not  this  habit.  The  place  and  time  to  form 
habits  of  attention  are  in  the  school  and  during  child- 
hood. 

Attention  is  most  easily  fixed  when  interest  is  keen, 
but  interest  will  grow  when  attention  is  fixed  by 
the  power  of  the  will.  This  point  is  worth 
jjiterest.  consideration.  The  stronger  will  of  the 
teacher  should  be  so  exerted  as  to  prevent  the  pupils 
from  drifting  into  idle,  indifferent  habits  of  study. 
Everything  should  be  avoided  which  tends  to  distract 


Imagination^  Attention,  Ifiterest        28^ 

the  pupil's  attention  from  his  work,  either  while  he  is 
preparing  or  reciting  his  lesson.  If  you  really  expect 
to  win  the  pupil's  attention,  you  should  be  as  much 
interested  in  the  lesson  as  you  expect  him  to  be. 

Do  not,  however,  look  for  too  much.  Observe  the 
little  child  at  his  play.  He  changes  continually  from 
one  game  to  another.  He  tires  of  the  same  playthings. 
One  is  the  favorite  to-day,  another  to-morrow.  It  is 
possible  to  require  too  much  in  the  way  of  prolonged 
attention  from  older  pupils.  The  interest,  excited  by 
strong  motives,  if  prolonged  may  give  rise  to  such 
tense  attention  as  to  produce  physical  weariness,  or 
perhaps  permanent  injury  to  the  brain.     (See  page  92.) 

In  closing  this  chapter  I  wish  to  remind  you  of  the 

intimate  connection  which  exists  between  memory  and 

attention.      The  art  of  memory  is  based, 

,  ,         , .     ,  , ,  ,       r  '        Memory  and 

almost  entirely,   upon    the    art   of    paymg  attention. 

attention.  Here,  also,  is  the  secret  of  the 
art  of  study,  which  is  only  the  power  of  concentra- 
tion, the  ability  sometimes  natural,  often  acquired,  to 
call  in  all  wandering  thought,  and  fix  the  efforts  of 
the  mind  upon  the  lesson  to  be  learned.  This  power 
is  a  most  valuable  acquisition  to  the  scholar  or  to  the 
man  of  business.  It  is  the  secret  of  success  in  any 
calling,  and  the  time  to  cultivate  it  is  in  childhood. 
Persisted  in  from  day  to  day  it  at  length  becomes  an 
enduring  habit  of  the  mind. 

The  degree  of  attention  and  interest  determines  the 
permanence  of  the  impressions  which  memory  retains. 
Whatever  is  learned  to-day  is  learned  for  all  to-morrows. 
Horace  Mann  says:  "No  unskillful  hand  should  ever 
play  upon  the  harp  when 

The  Tunes  Are  Left  Forever  in  the  Strings." 


286  Co  mm  0  71   Se?ise  Didactics 

Quotations  Worth  Reading 

IMAGINATION. 

The  most  trivial  and  unsuitable  objects  are  sufficient  to  excite 
its  action.  The  rude  and  unfinished  toy  is  more  acceptable  to  the 
child  than  the  more  costly  and  elaborate,  because  it  leaves  more 
room  for  the  constructive  power.  It  is  all  the  better  if  the  greater 
part  of  the  work  is  left  for  this  to  complete  and  supply.  The 
sports  and  plays  of  childhood  are  little  romances,  prompted  and 
acted  over  for  the  simple  exercise  and  delight  of  the  imagination. 

—Noah  Porter. 

But  perhaps  the  greatest  power  of  imagination  over  life  comes 
from  the  creation  by  it  of  what  are  called  ideals,  not  of  art,  but  of 
character  and  conduct.  Ideals  are  representations  of  that  which 
is  perfect,  or  which  we  esteem  so.  They  are  a  setting  before 
ourselves  of  lines  of  conduct  such  as  belong  to  the  higher  and 
better  parts  of  our  nature. 

— Mark  Hopkins. 

Imagination  and  fancy,  or  fantasy,  are  like  recollection,  free  in 
the  sense  that  they  depend  on  the  self.  But  they  are  freer  than 
recollection,  because  they  are  not  tethered  to  real  events  or 
things  that  belong  to  a  past  experience.  They  determine  forms, 
shapes,  situations  and  actions  entirely  ideal,  and  without  reference 
to  actual  existences  except  in  so  far  as  the  general  laws  of  space 
and  time  which  logically  condition  fancies  as  well  as  existences 
demand. 

—  William  T.  Harris. 

It  may  take  contact  with  but  a  little  of  evil  to  fan  into  a  con- 
suming flame  the  imaginings  of  a  child  who  might,  but  for  that 
contact,  have  been  made  almost  divine.  In  these  recommenda- 
tions it  is  not  forgotten  that  some  one  must  face  evil  in  order  to 
put  it  down,  but  that  person  should  be  one  whose  character  is 
established  beyond  question,  and  not  a  child. 

—A.  T.Stnith. 

Literature  has  a  most  marked  effect  in  the  developmeni  of  the 
imagination.  It  is  this  quality  which  makes  the  bad  look  so  dan- 
gerous—even more  dangerous' than  the  evil  companion. 

—Ruric  N.  Roark. 
A  TTENTION. 

Mr.  Fitch  has  a  lecture  on  the  art  of  securing  attention,  and 
he  briefly  passes  these  methods  in  review:  the  posture  must  be 
changed;  places  can  be  changed.  Questions,  after  being 
answered  singly,  may  occasionally  be  answered  in  concert. 
Elliptical  questions  may  be  asked,  the  pupil  supplying  the  missing 
word.  The  teacher  must  pounce  upon  the  most  listless  child  and 
wake  him  up.  The  habit  of  prompt  and  ready  response  must  be 
kept  up.  Recapitulations,  illUvStrations,  examples,  novelty  of 
order  and  ruptures  of  routine — all  these  are  means  for  keeping  the 
attention  alive  and  contributing  a  little  interest  to  a  dull  subject. 

—  William  James. 


Imaginatio7i,  Attention,  In,t ere st        28y 

Inattention  is  as  necessary  to  mental  activity  as  attention. 
Morbid  attention  to  a  particular  subject  shows  a  tendency  to 
insanity;  we  often  speak  of  people  being  "mad  on  music"  or 
"mad  on  politics."  A  perfectly  healthy  mind  has  special  inter- 
ests, so  that  it  is  not  always  possible  for  us  not  to  attend  to  our 
hobby. 

—  Selected. 

The  pupil  must  learn  to  exclude  and  ignore  the  many  things 
before  him,  and  to  concentrate  all  his  powers  of  mind  on  the  one 
chosen  subject. 

—  William  T.  Harris. 

We  must  not  suppose,  however,  that  the  value  of  attention  is 
limited  to  intellectual  pursuits ;  it  extends  to  the  whole  practical 
world  as  well.  In  fact  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  a  man's 
power  of  attention  often  determines  his  success  or  failure  in  life, 
involving  his  ability  to  use  effectively  his  powers,  both  of  mind 
and  body. 

—B.  A.  Hinsdale. 
INTEREST. 

If,  then,  you  wish  to  insure  the  interest  of  your  pupils  there  is 
only  one  way  to  do  it,  and  that  is  to  make  certain  that  they  have 
something  in  their  minds  to  attend  with  when  you  begin  to  talk. 

—  William  James. 

What  we  must  do  in  teaching  if  we  expect  to  interest  our  pupils 
is  to  set  them  to  do  something  that  they  are  able  to  do  in  order 
that  they  may  acquire  the  power  to  do  what  they  can  not  do. 

-/.  P.  Gordy. 

The  teacher's  first  duty  is  to  lay  hold  of  such  of  the  pupil's  old 
interests  as  can  be  made  available.  Attention  is  possible  only  on 
the  two  conditions,  that  the  child  shall  have  something  to  pay 
attention  with  and  something  to  pay  attention  to. 

—B.  A.  Htnsdale. 

There  is  one  person  about  whom  every  one  feels  an  interest 
and  is  very  keen  to  hear  remarks  about  him — everyone  takes  an 
interest  in  himself.  This  gives  the  teacher  a  power  of  which  he 
may  make  very  great  use.  If  he  can  study  the  boys  as  indi- 
viduals he  will  often  be  able  to  send  a  shaft  right  into  the  bull's- 
eye  by  feathering  it  with  a  personal  allusion. 

—R.  H.  Quick. 

Questions  for  Examination 

/,  Define  imagination, 

2.  Distinguish  between  reproductive  and  constructive  imag- 
ination. 
J.   How  may  you  aid  the  child  in  cultivating  his  imagination? 
4.  How  may  imagination  help  the  pupil  in  his  reading  lesson? 


288  Common   Sense  Didactics 


J.  What  does  Dr.  Hillis  say  of  the  imagination? 

6.  Give  the  extract  taken  from  the  School  and  the  School- 

master. 

7.  Define  the  two  kinds  of  attention, 

8.  How  may  the  teacher  gain  and  retain  the  attention  of  the 

class? 
g.  Discuss  the  relations  between  memory  and  interest 
10.  How  does  imagination  differ  from  memory? 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

/.  How  should  I  train  the  child  in  whom  memory  is  naturally 

defective? 
2.  Who  was  Cyrus  Peirce? 
J.  Do  I  train  my  own  memory  daily? 

4.  In  connection  with  imagination  what  use  can  be  made  of  the 

illustrations  in  the  text-books? 

5.  Who  is  Newell  Dwight  Hillis? 


CHAPTER    XVI 

THE   OLD   vs.    THE   NEW 

Let  There  Be  Light 

Go  with  the  sun  and  the  stars,  and  yet  evermore  in  thy  spirit 
Say  to  thyself:     It  is  good,  yet  there  is  better  than  it: 
This  I  see  is  not  all,  and  this  that  I  do  is  but  little; 
Nevertheless  it  is  good,  though  there  be  better  than  it. 

— Arthur  Hugh  Clough. 

The  new  education  of  which  we  have  heard  so  much  in  later 
years  really  began  its  work  when  the  great  Teacher  summoned 
the  world  to  a  life  of  service. 

—Samuel  T.  Dutton. 

The  power  to  use  tools,  instruments  and  machinery  lifts  man 
above  the  brute  creation.  There  is  labor-saving  machinery  in 
thinking  as  well  as  in  manual  labor. 

^Nathan  C.  Schaeffer. 

Lay  aside  all  affectation,  you  teachers ;  be  yourselves  good  and 
virtuous,  so  that  your  example  may  be  deeply  graven  on  your 
pupils'  memory  until  such  time  as  it  finds  lodgment  in  their  heart. 

—Rousseau. 

EVERYTHING  in  this  world  exists  either  in  the 
positive  or    comparative   degree;    there    is    no 
superlative.      One  thing   is   good,   another    is   better; 
nothing  is  best.     What  we  do  to-day  can 
be  compared  with  what  we  did  yesterday,    'There  is  no 
but  it  cannot  be  used  to  measure  what  we 
hope  to  do  to-morrow. 

We  stand  with  a  certain  amount  of  work  thrust  into 
our  hands.  It  is  not  to  our  credit  that  we  do  it  better 
than  some  one  else  does  his,  nor  is  it^to  our  discredit 
that  some  one  else  does  his  work  better  than  we  do 
ours.  The  pernicious  habit  of  comparing  ourselves 
19  28g 


2go  Common   Sense  Didactics 

and  our  success  with  others  is  the  cause  of  half  the 
unhappiness  the  world  knows.  God  allots  the  task, 
and  he  gives  the  penny  a  day  to  every  laborer.  But  it 
is  only  a  penny.  He  is  a  wise  man  who  accepts  it 
without  grumbling. 

The  servant  in  the  parable  was  condemned  for  what 
he  did  ?iot  do,  not  for  what  some  one  else  did. 

The  man  who  can  conscientiously  say,  "I  am  doing 
the  best  I  know  how  to  do,  let  who  will  do  better," 
can  sleep  in  peace,  nor  fear  to-morrow.  While  he  who 
can  say,  "I  arh  doing  better  to-day  than  I  did  yester- 
day; there  is  more  thought  and  more  skill  in  my  work; 
there  is  more  humanity  and  more  of  Christ  in  my 
spirit,"  hath  achieved  "a  distinction  which  will  live  in 
heaven." 

The  only  measure  of  greatness,  then,  is  fidelity  to 
duty.  The  progress  of  the  world  is  traced  not  by  let- 
tered stone,  nor  storied  monument;  but  by  the 
unmarked  graves,  the  resting-places  of  heroic  men  and 
women,  who  died  and  left  no  name. 

The  healing  of  the  world 
Is  in  its  nameless  saints.     Each  separate  star 
Seems  nothing ;  but  a  myriad  scattered  stars 
Break  up  the  night  and  make  it  beautiful. 

Among  those  who  read  this  book  there  are,  without 
doubt,  teachers  of  all  grades.  Some  are  charged  with 
weighty  responsibilities,  and  others — to  themselves,  at 
least — seem  to  fill  small  and  obscure  positions.  Don't 
worry  about  that;  let  God  decide  what  work  you  can 
do  best.  The  college  professor,  the  city  superintend- 
ent, the  instructor  in  the  graded  school,  the  teacher  in 
the  little  schoolhouse  upon  the  prairie,  have  more  in 
common  than  they  think  they  have. 

The  walls  in   the  stately  building  settle  and  yawn  in 


The    Old  vs.    The   New  2gi 

unseemly  cracks,  not  because  the  carver  and  engraver, 
the  worker  in  fine  brass,  and  the  painter,  failed  to  do 
good  work;  but  because  the  bricks  were  spoiled  in 
burning,  or  the  mortar  was  untempered,  or  the  trench 
in  which  the  foundations  were  laid  was  not  deep 
enough.  The  touch  of  an  unskilled  workman  makes 
itself  everywhere  felt.  We  learn  from  each  other. 
Nothing  can  be  said  to  be  the  best  possible.  When 
there  is  nothing  beyond  in  this  world,  then  comes  the 
millennium. 

In  some  things  the  city  school  is  superior;  but  the 
well  regulated  country  school  has  a  freedom  from  con- 
ventionality— from  red  tape,  from  dead  routine — and 
an  approach  to  the  personality  of  the  child  which  the 
city  teacher  may  study  with  great  profit. 

I  ask  you  here  to  consider  certain  principles,  and 
apply  them  to  the  individual  work  which  each  one  has 
in  hand  to-day.  During  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury a  few  thinking  men  changed  the  type  Founda- 
of  educational  thought  m  the  old  world. 
Any  attempt  to  transfer  their  ideas,  unmodified  by  the 
conditions  of  American  life,  to  our  own  times,  must 
of  necessity  prove  a  failure.  Times  and  seasons  re- 
cast all  things. 

But  the  ideas  in  question  are  so  full  of  material  for 
thought,  they  come  so  near  the  life  of  true  learning, 
they  are  so  akin  to  nature,  that  our  system  of  schools 
can  only  hope  to  approach  perfection  as  teachers  study 
the  precepts  and  imitate  the  example  of  these  men. 

I  wish  the  fences  about  the  schoolhouse  were  so  high 
that  the  hobby-rider  could  never  overleap  them,  and 
the  door  so  narrow  that  in  order  to  enter  the  building 
he  must  leave  his  package  outside.  The  purpose 
should  be  not  to  reject  anything  which  experience  has 


2g2  Common   Se?isc   Didactic s 

taught  us  is  of  value  in  educating  the  child,  nor  to  pull 
down  for  the  pleasure  that  there  is  in  rebuilding.  The 
man  of  one  idea  who  would  smash  your  idol  and  mine, 
and  compel  us  to  worship  his,  is  a  nuisance. 

In  every  step  looking  toward  advancement  there 
should  be  an  effort  to  kindle  a  warm  glow  of  thought; 
to  rouse  an  irresistible  impulse  toward  a  nearer 
approach  to  humanity;  to  compel  an  uplifting  of  the 
whole  being  into  a  purer,  holier  atmosphere  of  unselfish 
love.     This  was  Froebel's  mission  in  the  kindergarten. 

In  this  connection  three  names  are  prominent: 
Rousseau,  Pestalozzi,  and  Froebel. 

Rousseau,  who  aspired  to  be  the  founder  of  the 
natural  method  of  education,  attempted  to  array  nature 
J,,  against  art.     "Childhood,"   he  says,  "has 

reformers:  its  methods  of  seeing,  perceiving,  and 
Rousseau.  thinking  peculiar  to  itself."  This  is  nature. 
He  adds,  "Nothing  is  more  absurd  than  our  being 
anxious  to  adopt  our  own  method  in  its  stead." 

As  the  author  of  the  "new  education,"  Rousseau 
defines  it  to  be  "The  art  of  guiding  without  precept, 
and  of  doing  ev^erything  by  doing  nothing."  He  sums 
up  the  object  of  his  system  when  he  says,  "Natural 
education  must  fit  a  man  for  all  human  relations." 

We  are  not  to  infer,  however,  that  this  new  education 
would  leave  a  child  free  to  grow  up  as  directed  by 
chance.  On  the  contrary,  it  would  carefully  guard  him 
against  all  adverse  influences.  All  that  which  is  arti- 
ficial is  to  be  shunned,  and  that  is  artificial  which 
weakens  the  body  or  degrades  the  intellect.  The 
instructor  must  make  himself  a  child,  must  study  the 
child,  must  grow  up  with  the  child.  He  is  not  so  much 
a  teacher  as  a  guide;  not  so  much  a  governor  as  a 
playmate;  but  he  is  not  to  correct  nature  in  anything, 


The  Old  vs.    The  New  2gj 

lest  he  destroy  the  personality  of  the  pupil.  When  the 
teacher  forgets  that  he  was  once  a  child,  it  is  time  for 
him  to  surrender  his  certificate.  The  man  or  woman 
who  was  never  a  child  has  no  right  in  the  teacher's 
place. 

To  reach  the  age  of  discretion,  possessed  of  a  sound 
mind  in  a  sound  body;  to  be  devoid  of  anger,  malice, 
envy,  hatred,  and  of  all  kindred  vices;  to 
know  few  things,  but  to  know  them  well;  f^J^J/^^-fj 
to  possess  the  power  of  acquiring  knowl- 
edge, and  a  hungry  desire  to  know  all  things,  was  the 
education  Rousseau  designed  for  his  imaginary  child. 
The  child  is  divine;  knowledge  is  his  birthright. 
Nature  will  lead  the  child  into  the  possession  of  his 
inheritance. 

Pestalozzi  followed  Rousseau.     As  simple  as  a  child, 
as  pure  as  a  saint,  as  awkward  as  a  clown,  as  firm  as  a 
martyr,    unelated  by   success,   enthusiastic    p  st  l 
even    amid    defeat,  his   character   was    the    and  his 
strangest  mixture  that  ever  bequeathed  a    ^^^^l- 
name  to  posterity.     The  crudeness  of  his  habits  minis- 
tered  to   his   strength,  and   the   courage  of  an   honest 
heart  was  seen  in  every  thought. 

With  Pestalozzi  the  family  was  supreme,  and  the 
mother  was  supreme  in  the  family.  He  said:  "Mater- 
nal love  is  the  first  agent  in  education."  "The  starting 
point  of  the  child's  education  is  the  cradle;  what  is 
most  demanded  of  the  mother  is  a  thinking  love." 
There  are  some  eternal  landmarks  which  God  has 
established,  and  this  is  one  of  them.  As  the  child 
progressed  the  senses  were  to  be  carefully  trained, 
vigorous  growth  was  to  be  encouraged,  but  in  no  way 
to  be  forced.  The  activity  of  the  teaching  mind  was 
to  be  an  aid,  but  not  to  supplant  self-activity  on  the 


2g^  Commo?i   Se?ise  Didactics 

part  of  the  child,  which  he  considered  the  highest  aim 
of  education. 

As  the  apostle  of  the  new  education,  Pestalozzi 
taught  that,  from  the  first  dawning  of  consciousness, 
every  incident  in  the  child's  life  should  be  made  to 
teach  him  some  useful  lesson,  and  to  inculcate  the 
habit  of  thinking  upon  what  he  sees,  and  of  speaking 
after  he  has  thought. 

If  the  teacher  can  get  hold  of  the  whole  child  he 
may  hope  to  make  a  man  of  him.  Training,  whether 
intellectual,  moral,  or  physical,  must  begin  when 
growth  begins.  Many  a  holy  man  has  been  converted 
while  yet  in  his  cradle. 

He  is  the  best  teacher  who  enters  most  heartily  into 
the  everyday  life  of  his  pupils.  What  a  depth  of  reve- 
lation there  was  in  the  question:  "Did  not  our  hearts 
burn  within  us  as  he  talked?"  It  is  written  once  in 
the  life  of  every  man:  "Behold  the  sower  went  forth 
to  sow."  Were  it  not  so  the  Lord  of  the  harvest 
would  have  no  need  of  laborers  for  there  would  be  no 
harvest. 

Following  Pestalozzi  came  Froebel,  with  his  kinder- 
garten. Froebel  was  not  an  imitator,  neither  was  he  a 
philosopher.     He  was  rather  an   inventor, 

Froebel  ajid  ^j^q  succeeded  in  reducinsf  to  system  and 
ms  ideal.  .  .   .  . 

practice  the  crude  theories  of  his  associ- 
ates and  predecessors.  He  was  endowed  with  the 
divine  gift  of  thought. 

The  fundamental  idea  with  him  was  that  the  child's 
education  should  be  founded  upon  his  innate  love  of 
activity.  With  Froebel  all  occupations  are  plays,  and 
all  materials  are  gifts.  He  would  attempt  to  meet  the 
demands  of  the  child's  nature,  both  physical  and 
mental.     He  would  awaken   new  desires,  but   in  exnct 


The    Old  vs     The  New  2g^ 

ratio  with  the  teacher's  power  to  satisfy  them.  The 
plays  must  be  carefully  adjusted  to  the  capacity  of  the 
child,  that  they  may  not  retard  those  children  capable 
of  more  rapid  advancement,  nor  crowd  in  the  least 
degree  those  with  less  active  minds.  The  child  should 
be  instructed  as  though  he  were  the  only  child  in  exist- 
ence, and  yet  he  must  be  continually  reminded  of  the 
relations  which  he  bears  to  all  other  children  about 
him.     He  is  the  only  one;  he  is  one  of  many. 

In  the  true  kindergarten  the  greatest  attention  was 
to  be  paid  to  moral  training,  to  personal  habits  of 
order,  cleanliness,  and  to  the  amenities  of  polite  life. 
In  truth,  the  founders  of  the  natural  method  insisted 
upon  training  the  child  as  a  rational  and  immortal  being. 

I  have  thus  endeavored  to  state,  fairly  and  con- 
cisely, some  of  the  principles  upon  which  the  new 
education  was  based.  Let  us  now  see  how  it  differs 
from  the  old. 

We   have  seen  that  the  new  education  assumes  that 
nature   is   always   right,  and   therefore,    always   a  safe 
guide.  ,  The  old  school  asserts  that  nature 
must  be  assisted  by  art,  that  civilization  is  ^^^  educa- 
itself  an  artificial  state  of  society,  and  that  iion  com- 
the  education  which  fits  a  child  for  it  must 
be  largely  artificial.     The  teacher,  as  a  superior  being 
on  a  higher  plane,  must  bring  the  child  up  to  his  level 
by  a  series  of  dead   lifts.     It  recognizes  the  fact  that 
education    is    a   natural    process,   but    it   attempts   by 
unnatural  means  to  force  it  into  certain  grooves. 

In  its  modified  form  it  admits  that  education  is,  and 
should  be,  a  natural  growth,  but  it  also  claims  that  this 
natural  growth  must  be  closely  watched  and  carefully 
trained;  that  certain  habits  of  thought  and  action  must 
be  thoroughly  eradicated,  and  others  induced  to  grow 


2g6  Common   Se7ise  Didactics 

in  their  places;  that  nature  is  helpless,  to  the  extent 
that  the  child  is  born  with  certain  inherited  traits,  the 
fruits  of  wrong  training  upon  preceding  generations; 
that  he  comes  to  the  teacher's  hands  confirmed  in 
wrong  habits  by  home  training. 

In  short,  the  old  school  claims  that  all  which  is 
artificially  wrong  can  be  corrected  only  by  that  which 
is  artificially  right.  In  its  radical  form,  the  old  educa- 
tion makes  much  of  memory,  but  little  of  the  per- 
ceptive powers.  The  child  has  certain  knowledge  of 
anything,  because  he  has  the  word  of  his  teacher,  or 
the  statement  of  his  text-books.  The  teacher  requires 
attention  on  the  part  of  the  pupil,  and  tries  to  enforce 
it.  Failing  in  this,  he  resorts  to  continual  corrections, 
and  reproves  often  and  sharply. 

The  new  education  designs  to  secure  attention 
through  the  skillful  presentation  of  choice  material 
suited  to  the  child's  mind.  So  far  as  art  is  an  attempt 
to  realize,  in  a  particular  case,  some  idea,  the  old  edu- 
cation is  an  art.  So  far  as  science  is  developing  an 
idea  in  a  general  sense,  applicable  to  all  cases,  the 
new  education  approaches  a  scie?ice. 

The  two  schools  differ  still  more  in  aesthetical  and 
moral  training.  The  old  makes  little  of  the  beautiful. 
It  does  not  seek  to  train  the  eye  to  see,  nor  the  hand 
to  form,  nor  the  ear  to  hear;  and  where  these  powers 
exist,  a  little  germ  planted  by  nature  with  some  good 
intent,  it  limits  and  hinders  this  development  by  the 
substitution  of  meaningles  words. 

But  in  the  new  the  pupil  is  taught  to  interpret  the 
trees,  the  waters,  the  flowers  of  summer,  and  the  crys- 
tal forms  of  winter  into  a  living  though  unwritten 
language.  "To  love  all  virtue  for  itself,  all  nature  for 
its  breathing  evidence." 


The    Old  vs.    The  New  2g'j 

In  moral  training,  under  the  old  education,  wrong  is 
always  punished  if  detected;  right  seldom  rewarded. 
Unconditional  obedience  is  required  as  a  means  of 
escaping  punishment.  Love  of  self-approbation  is 
appealed  to,  but  self-respect  is  neglected.  Conscience, 
love  of  truth,  virtue,  these  are  left  to  be  developed  by 
chance. 

The  pupil  is  constantly  confronted  by  the  stern 
words:  "He  who  has  a  bad  character  must  absolutely 
create  for  himself  a  better  one."  This  is  a  terrible 
sentence  to  be  passed  upon  any  man.  He  must  lift 
himself  out  of  the  mire;  he  must  pull  himself  out  of  the 
"Slough  of  Despond." 

Under  the  new,  the  words  of  Pestalozzi  are  full  of 
hope  to  both  teacher  and  pupil.  "Faith  must  be  culti- 
vated by  an  act  of  believing,  not  by  reasoning  about 
faith.  Love  by  an  act  of  loving,  not  by  fine  words  about 
love."     "God  is  the  nearest  recourse  of  humanity." 

We  cannot  adopt  all  which  these  men  advocated. 
We  understand  some  things  better  than  they  did.  We 
know  the  surroundings  of  our  schools,  and  are  not 
called  to  be  imitators.  An  American  system  of  schools 
must  be  in  accordance  with  American  needs.  But  the 
Pestalozzian  spirit,  through  which  education  becomes 
nurture,  is  universal  and  of  universal  application.  Not 
only  is  it  necessary  to  care  for  the  child's  body,  but  to 
teach  him  to  care  for  his  own  body;  to  teach  him  the 
laws  of  healthful  being. 

The  teacher  is  not  alone  to  correct  bad  habits,  but  to 
correct  them  by  inducing  the  formation  of  better  ones. 
Comparatively  few  children  need  to  be  stimulated  by 
artificial  means;  all  need  to  be  encouraged  in  every 
right  effort.  Few  need  positive  punishment;  all  need 
restraint. 


2g8  Common   Seiise   Didactics 

I  do  not  say  that  we  have  pushed  too  far  our  require- 
ments for  book   knowledge   in   teachers.      It  does  not 

harm  the  teacher  to  know  a  little  something 
The  ideal       ^f  books.      A   little   knowledge    is    not   so 

very  dangerous  as  some  of  us  seem  to 
think.  But  we  have  pushed  our  requirements  too  far 
in  one  direction.  The  land  is  full  of  one-sided  teach- 
ers.    A  one-sided  teacher  never  grows. 

We  demand  that  they  shall  know  what  and  how  to 
teach.  The  next  and  more  important  step,  is  that  they 
shall  know  why  they  do  thus.  It  is  not  the  art  of  the 
old  school,  it  is  not  the  science  of  the  new.  It  is  art 
joined  with  science,  it  is  culture  derived  from  books; 
the  skill  of  a  trained  mind  knit  to  the  gentle  yet  irre- 
sistible power  of  nature,  which  characterizes  the  best 
teaching.  Some  one  says  that  Jefferson,  the  great 
actor,  has  entered  so  entirely  into  Rip  Van  Winkle, 
that  as  he  walks  the  streets  he  is  not  quite  sure  that 
"mine  dog  Schneider"  is  not  at  his  heels. 

A  change  is  coming  over  the  whole  aspect  of  the 
teacher's  life.  It  is  like  the  change  which  comes  over 
the  sky  just  before  the  dawn.  Thring  says:  "Teaching 
is  not  possible  if  an  inspector  is  coming  to  count  the 
bricks  made  to  order."  But  teaching  is  not  possible  if 
the  teacher  has  no  higher  ambition  than  to  make  bricks 
to  order.  Children  must  be  treated  as  children.  It  is 
nothing] against  a  boy  that  he  hates  books,  and  loves 
fun.  If  he  is  wideawake  and  honest,  his  fun  is  perhaps 
the  best  part  of  him.  Get  hold  of  him  on  that  side, 
and  you  will  have  control  of  him;  confine  your  efforts 
to  the  book  side,  and  you  drive  him  out  of  school,  or 
render  his  school  useless. 

I  have  great  respect  for  the  boy  part  of  the  boy.  It 
is  not  always  against  him  that  he  is  attracted  by  remu- 


The    Old  vs.    The  New  2gg 

nerative  work.  The  schoolmaster  complains  because 
the  boy  leaves  school  to  drive  a  delivery  wagon.  Yet 
some  one  must  drive  the  wagon,  or  the  schoolmaster 
will  have  no  dinner. 

The  point  for  the  skillful  teacher  to  reach  is  the 
personal  consciousness,  the  inner  sense  of  the  child, 
not  holding  up  to  him  a  lofty  ideal  of  some 

one,   a  something-  outside  of  himself,   but  ^^."^^^  ^f  ^^ 

'  ^  .  .  '    .         cwnea  at. 

endeavoring  to  make  him  that  ideal  to  him- 
self; to  form   within   him  that  type  of  a  perfect  man 
which  is  the  strength  of  manhood,  the  comfort  of  age, 
the  surety  of  life  everlasting. 

There  are  two  ideals  in  the  boy's  mind:  A  manly 
man  and  a  womanly  woman. 

A  pupil  who  dislikes  his  teacher  may  yet  make  good 
progress;  but  when  he  feels  that  his  teacher  is  partial 
to  others,  or  unjust  in  his  treatment  of  him,  the  iron 
enters  his  soul  and  he  works  without  heart  or  hope. 
Even  the  dullest  pupil,  when  he  finds  that  his  work  is 
appreciated,  is  encouraged  to  greater  effort,  and  takes 
fresh  heart  from  the  approval  of  his  teacher.  A  boy 
once  said  in  my  hearing,  *T  like  the  teacher  well 
enough.  He  treats  me  all  right,  but  he  is  not  fair  to 
some  of  the  others.  It  makes  me  hot  the  way  he 
makes  fun  of  Jack  Small.  If  I  was  in  Jack's  place  I 
would  kick."  Jack  Small  was  a  poor  boy  with  no  one 
to  stand  up  for  him.  The  teacher  was  a  coward.  (See 
page  i8o.) 

The  school  is  a  democratic  institution.  The  princi- 
ple of  equality  before  the  law  should  be  exemplified 
here  as  nowhere  else.  The  following  extract,  by 
Henry  Ward  Beecher,  expresses  fully  the  idea  I  wish 
to  inculcate: 

"The  real  democratic  American  idea  is,  not  that  a 


joo  Common   Se?ise   Didactics 

man  should  be  on  the  level  with  every  other  man,  but 
that  every  man  shall  be  what  God  made  him  without 
let  or  hindrance;  that  there  shall  be  no  prejudice 
against  him  if  he  is  high  and  that  no  disgrace  shall 
attach  to  him  if  he  is  low;  that  he  shall  have  supreme 
possession  of  what  he  has  and  what  he  is;  that  he 
should  have  liberty  to  use  his  powers  in  any  proper 
direction." 

We  must  first  know  the  end  which  we  hope  to  reach, 
the  aim  which  we  may  rightfully  have  in  mind,  and 
then  fix  upon  the  method  to  be  adopted. 
But  when  we  exalt  the  method  above  the 
end,  failure  is  inevitable.  Education  consists  of  two 
things:  obtaining  knowledge  and  using  knowledge. 
We  must,  in  our  schools,  have  less  to  do  with  percent- 
age and  so-called  results,  and  more  with  capacity,  power 
to  acquire,  ability  to  retain,  and  skill  to  use. 

A  system  which  makes  the  promotion  of  children 
from  grade  to  grade,  any  part  of  school  life,  dependent 
upon  a  certain  per  cent  as  determined  by.  written 
examinations,  is  faulty  in  its  construction  and  injurious 
in  its  results.  It  is  not  only  that  the  flushed  cheeks, 
the  excited  eye,  the  trembling  nerves,  tell  that  the 
brain  is  being  forced  to  do  unwonted  work,  but  the 
wrong  aim  held  up  before  the  child  is  a  far  greater  evil. 

An  honest  effort  on  the  part  of  the  child  is  always  to 
be  commended,  even  though  it  appear  to  result  in  fail- 
ure. Dr.  Edward  Everett  Hale  says  this  of  himself: 
"I  came  home  at  the  end  of  the  first  month  with  a 
repoVt  which  showed  that  I  was  ninth  in  a  class  of 
fifteen.  That  is  about  the  average  rank  which  I  gener- 
ally had.  I  showed  it  to  my  mother  because  I  had  it. 
I  thought  she  would  not  like  it.  To  my  great  sur- 
prise and  relief  she  said  it  was  a  good  report.     I  said  I 


The    Old  vs.    The  New  joi 

thought  she  would  be  displeased  because  I  was  so  low 
in  the  class.  She  said,  'That  is  no  matter.  Probably 
the  other  boys  are  brighter  than  you.  God  made  them 
so,  and  you  cannot  help  that.'  "  She  was  evidently  a 
good  mother  and  a  wise  woman. 

Parents  and  teachers  make  a  mistake  when  they  com- 
pare one  child  with  another.  The  mother  who  said  to 
her  daughter,  "Your  teacher  says  that  Jane  has 
a  higher  rank  in  the  class  than  you  have;  you  must 
study  harder,"  did  not  mean  to  be  cruel,  but  she  was. 
She  incited  the  daughter  to  unwonted  effort  through 
unworthy  motives.  This  saying  by  Ruskin  should  be 
kept  in  mind:  "It  is  the  effort  that  deserves  praise,  not 
the  success;  nor  is  it  a  question  for  any  student  whether 
he  is  cleverer  than  others  or  duller,  but  whether  he  has 
dofie  the  best  he  coidd  with  the  gifts  he  had,'' 

A  lady  applicant  for  a  position  once  sent  me  two 
specimens  of  scholar's  work,  as  an  evidence  of  her  abil- 
ity as  a  teacher.  They  were  good  specimens  of  their 
kind,  but  what  did  they  show?  It  is  difficult  to  say.  Of 
her  ability  to  control,  of  her  judgment,  of  her  power  to 
awaken  thought,  of  her  good  influence  over  her  pupils, 
of  that  teaching  which  sets  the  seal  of  the  teacher's 
personal  character  upon  the  scholar,  literally  nothing. 

What  did  they  show  regarding  her  pupils?  That  they 
were  able  to  produce  a  neat,  orderly  paper,  which  I 
grant  is  an  attainment  worth  having;  but  they  told 
little  of  their  everyday  habits  of  study,  of  their  moral 
culture,  of  their  physical  training,  of  their  reverence 
for  sacred  things, — nothing  of  the  growth  of  those 
powers  which  make  the  child  sensitive  to  truth,  the 
youth  sensitive  to  honor,  and  the  whole  man  sensitive 
alike  to  truth,  honor,  and  duty. 

We  must  fix  upon  the  product,  and   then   adjust  the 


^02  Cojnmon   Sense   Didactic s 

machinery  to  the  desired  end.  To  introduce  a  tem- 
porary motive  which  does  not  endure  beyond  the  pres- 
ent is  a  terrible  mistake.  It  is  sowing  the  wind  and 
forgetting  the  whirlwind  which  is  sure  to  follow.  The 
chain  which  binds  together  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for- 
ever has  never  been  broken.  "Whatsoever  ye  sow, 
that  shall  ye  also  reap,"  is  nature's  ,  law.  When 
through  any  process  the  child  comes  to  understand 
that  eighty  per  cent  is  success,  and  seventy-nine  per 
cent  is  failure,  it  would  be  better  for  him  that  he  had 
never  seen  the  inside  of  the  schoolroom. 

It  is  sometimes  asserted  that  the  spirit  of  the  latest 
phase  of  education  is  hostile  to  the  use  of  text-books, 
especially  in  the  hands  of  the  teacher.  We 
¥^%Y  ^^^^'  need  to  be  careful  that  we  are  not  misled 
by  mere  catch-words  and  popular  phrases. 
It  is  a  very  excellent  thing  when  a  teacher  knows  how 
to  use  the  text-book.  It  is  as  necessary  for  him  to 
study  it,  to  know  what  is  in  it,  as  for  the  pupil,  in 
order  to  produce  a  perfect  recitation. 

I  have  seen  teachers  who  were  really  very  little  in 
advance  of  the  text-book  fill  themselves  so  full  of  it, 
enter  so  thoroughly  into  the  spirit  of  the  author  and  of 
his  illustrations,  as  to  make  the  lesson  fairly  luminous; 
when  it  was  finished  it  was  bristling  all  over  with 
points,  every  one  of  which  impressed  itself  upon  the 
mind  of  the  child.  And  I  have  seen  other  teachers, 
who  discarded  the  text-book  as  too  old-fashioned  for 
them,  proceed  in  their  own  way  to  amplify  and  illus- 
trate and  simplify  and  mix  things  up  until  every  point 
was  almost  as  clear  when  the  recitation  ended  as  when 
it  commenced.     (See  page  193.) 

There  is  actually  some  danger  that  the  teacher  will 
know  too  much.     Better  draw  water  from   one  clear 


The    Old  vs.    The  New  joj 

living  spring,  than  from  a  hundred  shallow  ponds. 
The  old-fashioned  schoolmaster,  who  knew  his  arith- 
metic and  grammar  from  one  end  to  the  other,  had  in 
his  favor  some  strong  points  which  are  wanting  in  the 
more  modern  teacher,  who  knows — or  thinks  he  knows 
— something  of  everything. 

I  say,  without  hesitation,  to  every  teacher  who  reads 
this,  be  sure  you  know  just  what  is  in  the  book  your 
pupils  are  studying,  and  after  that  learn  as  much  more 
as  possible.  Let  us  not  be  hasty;  text-books  have  their 
uses.  The  need  is,  that  we  know  them  to  use  them  and 
yet  not  be  in  bondage  to  them.  The  power  of  person- 
ality will  not  be  increased  by  discarding  them,  nor 
decreased  by  employing  them. 

Freedom  in  teaching  sometimes  means  something 
very  different  from  personality  in  teaching.  The 
teacher  must  rise  superior  to  the  text-book;  not  in 
knowledge,  but  in  spirit;  not  in  the  abundance  of  that 
which  he  knows,  but  in  his  ability  so  to  present  knowl- 
edge that  whatever  the  child  has  acquired  by  diligent 
study  may  become  the  germ  of  inward  growth,  induc- 
ing thought  and  self-activity,  awakening  him  to  "the 
inner  consciousness  of  his  powers,  which  is  the  object 
of  the  education  of  nature." 

If  you  have  read  this  closely,  you  have  clearly  seen 
that  the   difference  between   the   old   and   the   new  is 
more   in   spirit   than  in  matter  or  method. 
The  education  most  prevalent  in  this  coun-  difference 
try  for  many  years  had  chief  reference  to  between  old 
brain  training.     There  is  a  strong  feeling 
that  now  the  great  question  is:     "How  can  we  best  fit 
the  child  for  the  duties  of  social   life   and  of  citizen- 
ship?"    If  we  could  reach  him  in  the  family,  the  ques- 
tion could  be  more  easily  solved. 


^04  Co  mm  0  71   Sense   Didactics 

We  do  not  realize,  in  its  full  extent,  that  the  end 
of  education  is  outside  and  beyond  the  school.  We 
must  study  the  life  which  is  about  us,  and  into  which 
the  child  will  enter  at  his  maturity,  if  we  look  forward 
to  leading  him  up  to  a  high  ideal  of  noble  living. 

If  you  would  be  convinced  of  the  magnitude  of  this 
question,  just  at  dark,  after  the  hour  of  labor,  go  into 
the  lanes  and  alleys  of  any  city  and  see  the  crowds  of 
children  swarming  from  out  their  dirty,  squalid  homes, 
wallowing  in  the  dirt,  growing  up  in  filth,  ignorance, 
and  sin. 

The  great  hope  of  the  patriot,  the  philanthropist,  the 
Christian  is  that  many  of  these  children  are  in  our  free 
schools.  The  spirit  of  the  new  education  would  incite 
us  to  teach  these  children  not  only  the  laws  of  personal 
health,  but  so  much  of  sanitary  science  as  pertains  to 
cleanliness  in  all  the  surroundings  of  their  homes;  so 
much  of  political  science  as  pertains  to  the  mutual  de- 
pendence existing  between  labor  and  capital;  so  much 
of  patriotism  as  pertains  to  the  blessings  of  a  free,  firm, 
enlightened  government;  so  much  of  morals  as  pertains 
to  questions  of  right  and  wrong;  and  so  much  of  re- 
ligion as  pertains  to  their  immortality.      (See  page  128.) 

In  dealing  with  children,  conscience  is  the  surest 
ally  we  can  have.  It  is  hers  to  unbar  the  window,  take 
down  the  shutters,  throw  wide  open  the  door,  that  the 
light  of  God's  truth  may  have  free  access  to  the  soul 
within.     (See  page  134.) 

The    environments    which    surrounded     the     child 

seventy-five  years  ago  were  so  different  from    those 

amid  which  he  lives  to-day,  that  it  is  diffi- 

Ckangeden-  ^,jjj|.  ^^  institute  a  comparison.     One  of  the 

vironments.    _         ,  ,  •    ,     ,       ,  ,  ,  e 

first  lessons  which  he  learned  was  that  or 

responsibility.     He  had  his  chores   to  do,  his  task  ta 


The    Old  vs.    The  New  ^05 

perform  independently  of  his  school.  As  a  member 
of  the  family  he  was  under  obligations  to  do  some- 
thing for  the  comfort  of  others.  Habits  of  order  and 
industry,  of  self-denial  and  serviceableness,  became 
second  nature. 

I  once  knew  a  family  in  which  there  were  three 
daughters.  The  two  younger  remained  at  home,  and 
braided  palm-leaf  hats  that  the  oldest  sister  might  go 
to  the  academy  for  a  3^ear.  Then  the  youngest  and 
the  eldest  earned  the  money  to  send  the  second 
daughter;  and  then  the  two  older  did  the  same  for  the 
youngest.  I  have  often  questioned  with  myself 
whether  the  year's  study  at  the  academy  was  not 
intensified  and  strengthened  by  the  fixedness  of  pur- 
pose and  the  self-denial  which  characterized  the  life  of 
these  New  Hampshire  girls  while  braiding  straw  in 
their  father's  house. 

There  is  an  educational  value  in  work,  as  well  as  in 
books  and  teachers.  We  need  to  remember  that, 
when  we  load  the  child  with  so  many  studies  that  he 
has  no  time  for  any  labor  about  the  farm  or  in  the 
house  or  the  office,  we  deprive  him  of  a  very  essential 
part  of  his  education.  The  school  will  yet  see  the 
necessity  of  strengthening  rather  than  severing  the 
ties  which  bind  the  life  of  the  child  to  the  real  life  of 
the  community  about  him. 

I  have  not  advocated  the  adoption  of  the  new  educa- 
tion in  all  its  details.  I  believe  the  most  we  can  do 
is  to  catch  its  spirit,  study  its  principles,  and  build 
them,  as  elements  of  strength,  into  our  American  sys- 
tem. I  commend  them  with  the  more  earnestness  to 
every  teacher  because  there  is  not  a  social,  moral, 
religious,  or  political  question  of  the  day,  the  solution 
of  which  will  not  be  affected  by  the  instruction  given 
20 


jo6  Co7nmo7i   Se?ise  Didactics 

in  our  public  schools;  so  great  are  the  interests  com- 
mitted to  our  charge.  Only  let  us  study  with  care  and 
thought  all  phases  of  our  work. 

Let  There  Be  Light. 


Quotations  Worth  Reading 

found  a  tions. 

The  prevention  of  crime  is  the  duty  of  society.  But  society  has 
no  right  to  punish  crime  at  one  end  if  it  does  nothing  to  prevent  it 
at  the  other  end.  Society's  chief  concern  should  be  to  remove 
causes  from  which  crime  springs.  It  is  as  much  a  duty  to  pre- 
vent crime  as  it  is  to  punish  crime. 

— Sarah  B.  Cooper. 

The  child's  restless  observation  instead  of  being  ignored  or 
checked  should  be  diligently  ministered  to  and  made  as  accurate 
as  possible. 

—Nathan  C.  Schaeffer. 

We  teach  him  to  read  without  implanting  in  his  soul  such  love 
of  the  good  in  literature  that  he  will  choose  the  good  and  no  other, 
and  we  have  opened  for  him  doors  into  evil  paths  as  well  as  good, 
without  power  to  withstand  the  temptations  of  the  one  and  to 
steadily  pursue  the  other. 

—Sarah  L.  Arnold. 
THREE  REFORMERS. 

Comenius,  Rousseau  and  Pestalozzi,  to  whom  much  that  is 
excellent  in  our  American  schools  to-day  can  be  traced,  were 
men  who  wrote  and  taught  because  they  saw  a  great  need, 
because  their  intense  emotional  natures  were  stirred  to  the  depths 
at  the  sight  of  children  growing  up  in  ignorance  or  wasting  the 
precious  time  of  youth  in  empty  verbalism. 

— Charles  De  Garmo. 

The  most  important  part  of  education  consists  in  making 
children  feel  their  helplessness  and  weakness  and  their  depend- 
ency, and  in  accustoming  them  to  the  severe  yoke  of  necessity 
which  nature  imposes  upon  men ;  and  this  in  order  that  they  may 
better  understand  how  much  is  done  for  them,  and  that  they  may 
early  learn  in  what  position  Providence  has  placed  them,  and 
may  avoid  endeavoring  to  escape  from  it ;  and  that  they  may  feel 
all  the  varieties  of  human  weakness. 

A  child  should  no  more  obtain  any  favor  by  noisy  begging  than 
by  tears  or  coaxing. 

—Rousseau. 

We  do  not  divert  men  from  error  merely  by  contradicting  their 
foolish  words,  but  by  dissolving  out  of  tnem  the  spirit  of  their 
errors. 


The    Old  vs.    The  New  jo^ 

It  does  not  help  one  to  see  to  describe  to  him  the  night  and  its 
dark  colors  and  shadows.  We  can  show  what  the  night  is  only  by 
lighting  up,  and  what  blindness  is  by  covering  the  eyes. 

Just  as  little  will  one  learn  the  right  path  to  a  place  by  being 
lead  about  through  all  the  side  streets  where  he  might  go  astray. 

—Pesialozzi. 

The  essence  of  education  consists  in  this,  that  each  department 
of  human  activity  is  developed  in  the  individual ;  none  of  them 
isolately,  but  each  in  a  harmonious  relation  to  the  others. 

Therefore  the  school  and  life  should  each  be  treated  as  a  unity, 
so  that  in  education  the  attention  may  be  fixed  on  the  future  man, 
the  father  of  a  family,  the  citizen,  the  patriot. 

— Froebel. 

THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW  COMPARED. 

In  the  management  of  the  school  the  teacher  must  count  with 
the  forces  in  the  homes  as  well  as  those  in  the  school ;  he  is  in  the 
community  and  must  be  of  it ;  he  must  be  an  organizer  as  well  as 
an  instructor;  and  last  though  not  least,  must  abound  in  what  is 
next  to  the  most  effective  possession  of  all — good  sense.  Good 
character  and  good  sense  are  the  Alpha  and  Omega  of  the 
teacher's  equipment.  Other  qualifications  can  be  secured  through 
proper  effort  or  study,  but  these  must  be  in  the  very  nature. 

—Selected. 

John  Stuart  Mill  said:  "I  rejoice  in  the  decline  of  the  old 
brutal  and  tyrannical  system  of  teaching,  which,  however,  did 
succeed  in  forming  habits  of  application,  but  the  new,  as  it  seems 
to  me,  is  training  up  a  race  of  men  who  will  be  incapable  of  doing 
anything  which  is  disagreeable  to  them." 

It  scarcely  ever  entered  the  heads  of  our  teachers  to  question 
us  about  the  ideas  hidden  in  the  great,  long  words  and  spacious 
sentences.  It  is  possible  that  they  did  not  always  discover  it 
themselves.  "Speak  up  there  and  not  read  like  a  mouse  in  a 
cheese,  and  mind  your  stops" — such  were  the  principal  directions 
respecting  the  important  art  of  elocution. 

—  The  District  School  as  It  Was. 

The  common  view  of  education  restricts  it  too  much  to  storing 
the  memory  with  knowledge.  The  paramount  duty  of  the  student 
is  to  "get  his  lessons,"  and  that  of  the  teacher  to  see  to  it  that  he 
does  get  them.  When  the  child  first  enters  school  a  text-book  is 
put  into  his  hands;  he  is  set  to  mastering  words,  learning  defini- 
tions, committing  rules  and  memorizing  formulas.  Recitations 
consist  largely  in  reproducing  the  statements  of  the  book  in  the 
language  of  the  author. 

— Thomas  J.  Morgan. 
METHODS. 

In  mathematics,  therefore,  as  in  grammar,  instruction  centers 
in  the  principles  to  be  understood  and  applied.     All  variations  in 


jo8  Common   Se?ise  Didactics 

method,  whether  inductive  or  deductive,  are  different  modes  of 
presenting  these  generalizations. 

— Charles  H.  and  Frank  M.  McMurry. 
TEXT-BOOKS. 

But  nobody  has  ever  proposed  to  throw  aside  books  as  instru- 
ments of  teaching  and  discipline.  Such  a  proposition  would 
involve  cutting  the  child  off  in  great  degree  from  the  past.  It 
would  involve  the  renunciation  of  the  major  part  of  civilization 
and  would  be  a  long  step  toward  barbarism.  The  book  must  be 
retained — to  this,  all  agree. 

—B.  A.  Hinsdale. 

Books  have  two  advantages.  Chiefly  they  are  tools  for  the 
mind.  The  foot's  step  is  short,  but  the  engine  lengthens  the 
stride  and  hastens  it.  The  smith's  blow  is  weak,  but  the  trip- 
hammer  multiplies  the  might  of  man's  hand.  Thus  books  are 
mental  machines,  enabling  the  mind  of  man  to  reap  in  many 
harvest  fields  and  multiply  the  mental  treasures. 

—Newell  Dwight  Hillis. 

Questions  for  Examination 

/.  What  distinction  can  you  make  between  the  old  education 

and  the  new? 
2.  What  were  some  of  Rousseau's  ideas? 
J.  What  were  some  of  Pestalozzi's  ideas? 
4.  What  can  you  say  of  Froebel? 
J.   How  do  the  two  schools  differ  in  moral  training? 

6.  In  what  respect  is  the  country  school  the  better? 

7.  The  relation  of  the  teacher  to  the  text-book. 

8.  What  is  the  great  question  in  educating  the  child? 

9.  What  do  you  understand  by  the  expression   "A   Hobby 

Rider"? 
JO.  What  is  said  of  the  system  which  makes  the  promotion  of 
pupils    depend    upon    a  certain   per    cent  obtained  by 
written  examinations? 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

/.  What  is  the  true  kindergarten  idea? 

2.  In  what  respect  should  the  teacher  become  a  child? 

J.  Is  the  maxim  "From  the  known  to  the  unknown"  always 

correct? 
4.  State  some  of  the  advantages  and  some  of  the  disadvantages 

of  the  teacher's  vocation. 
J.  Why  is  it  incorrect  to  say,   "First  form  the  mind,  then 
furnish  it"? 


CHAPTER  XVII 

BOOKS  AND  THEIR  USES 

The  Grubbing-Hoe  and  the  Axe 

How  can  this  flood  of  pernicious  reading  be  stayed?  It  must  be 
done,  if  done  at  all,  in  the  expressive  language  of  Dr.  Chalmers — 
"by  the  expulsive  power  of  a  new  affection."  A  purer  current  of 
thought  at  the  fountain  can  alone  wash  the  channels  clean.  For 
this  purpose  I  know  of  no  plan  as  yet  conceived  by  philanthropy, 
which  promises  to  be  so  comprehensive  and  efficacious  as  the 
establishment  of  good  libraries  in  all  our  school  districts,  open 
respectively  to  all  the  children  in  the  state,  and  within  half  an 
hour's  walk  of  any  spot  upon  its  surface. 

-'Horace  Mann. 

Yet  are  we  so  made  that  each  man  will  think  of  some  authors 
as  if  they  had  served  him  better  than  others,  the  truth  being  that 
these  are  the  authors  with  whom  he  is  most  in  sympathy ;  they 
are  the  chosen  friends  of  his  soul. 

—  William  T.  Harris. 

No  matter  how  poor  I  am,  no  matter  though  the  prosperous  of 
my  own  time  will  not  enter  my  obscure  dwelling — if  the  sacred 
virtues  will  enter  and  take  up  their  abode  under  my  roof;  if 
Milton  will  sing  of  Paradise,  and  Shakespeare  open  to  me  the 
worlds  of  imagination  and  the  workings  of  the  human  heart ;  if 
Franklin  will  enrich  me  with  his  practical  wisdom — I  shall  not 
pine  for  want  of  intellectual  companionship,  and  I  may  become  a 
cultivated  man,  though  excluded  from  what  is  called  the  best 
society  in  the  place  where  I  live. 

—  William  Ellery  Channing. 

THERE  is  after  all  much  rough  land  to  be  cleared. 
Trees  are  to  be  felled,  stumps  to  be  uprooted, 
rocks  to  be  displaced,  before  the  mowing  machine  or 
the  reaper  can  be  called  upon  to  gather  the  y,^^ 
harvest.  The  axe  and  the  grubbing-hoe  teacher's 
must  be  wielded  by  strong  arms,  not  for  one  tools. 
season,  but  for  many,  before  all  traces  of  the  primitive 
wilderness  disappear. 

3og 


jio  Common   Sense  Didactics 

It  is  dig  and  burn  and  plow  and  work,  day  in  and 
day  out,  which  is  the  portion  of  the  pioneer — and  pio- 
neers, in  one  sense,  we  all  are.  Life  is  very  new  to  us. 
"We  never  traveled  this  road  before;  we  never  shall 
come  this  way  again."  If  we  stop  to  consider  our 
past  lives,  to  look  over  the  ground  along  which  we 
have  come  to  our  present  work,  we  are  astonished  to 
find  how  often  we  have  had  occasion  to  use  the  rough 
tools  of  field  life  in  order  to  clear  our  pathway  and 
make  a  safe  place  for  our  footsteps. 

But  no  one  can  work  without  tools,  nor  can  he  work 
to  any  advantage  with  them  until  he  becomes  skillful 
in  their  use.  The  tools  at  your  disposal  wherewith  to 
do  your  work  are  books,  and  the  art  of  using  them  to 
the  best  advantage  comes,  as  skill  always  comes, 
through  thought  and  practice. 

Emerson  says  that  books  are  only  to  inspire.  Knowl- 
edge is  of  secondary  importance.  "That  alone  minis- 
B  k  •  tJ  ■  ^^'^^  ^^  ^^^  growth  of  the  race  which,  com- 
use  and  ing  from  the  heart  of  one,  finds  lodgment 
abuse.  ^^^  jjfg  ij^  l-l^g  \\Q2.x\.  of  another.     Without 

books  not  only  would  schools,  colleges,  and  universi- 
ties disintegrate  and  disappear,  but  everything  which 
we  call  culture  would  vanish,  and  society  would  lapse 
at  once  into  barbarism." 

Emerson  is  right.  The  inspiration  which  makes  life 
worth  living  is  drawn  from  the  printed  page.  To  place 
a  book  in  the  hands  of  a  child,  after  he  has  been  taught 
to  read  it,  is  an  act  of  the  greatest  moment.  We  give 
him  the  key  and  teach  him  to  unlock  the  door  which 
opens  into  all  the  activities  of  life.  We  recognize  that, 
in  the  fullness  cf  his  creation,  he  ranks  but  little  lower 
than  the  angels  of  God.  The  child  who  in  his  youth 
is   led   to  open   his  heart  to  the  inspiration  of  books, 


Books  and  Their   Uses  jii 

anchors  his  life  to  the  teachings  of  the  great  and  good 
of  all  ages.     (See  page  70.) 

We  have  fallen  upon  an  age  of  books,  dealing  with 
every  conceivable  subject,  and  with  every  possible 
motive.  Good,  evil,  and  indifferent,  like  Jeremiah's 
figs,  the  good  v^ry  good,  and  the  poor  exceeding  poor, 
they  are  scattered  broadcast  as  the  sower  scatters  the 
wheat. 

It  is  true  that  evil  is  embalmed  in  books;  that  the 
meanest  vices  of  men  speak  from  the  printed  page. 
It  is  equally  true,  however,  that  books  are  the  open 
doors  through  which  the  poorest  and  the  humblest 
enter  into  the  inheritance  provided  for  us  by  the  impe- 
rial intellects  of  the  world.  An  old  writer  says: 
"Without  books  God  is  silent,  justice  dormant,  natural 
science  at  a  stand,  philosophy  lame,  letters  dumb,  and 
all  things  involved  in  Cimmerian  darkness." 

Likewise  we  have  fallen  upon  an  age  of  investiga- 
tion.    Men  are  unearthing  the  buried  trophies  of  old 

nations,  and  are  striving  to  read  the  records    ^j  , 

'  ^  The  age  of 

of  the  ages  before  the  flood.  The  explorer  mvestiga- 
is  visiting  the  utmost  corners  of  the  earth.  ^^*^^- 
Every  decade  sees  new  avenues  of  trade  opened  with 
opulent  cities.  The  schoolboy  of  to-day,  who  becomes 
acquainted  with  the  world's  great  channels  of  com- 
merce, knows  the  geography  of  vast  continents  which, 
on  the  atlas  that  his  father  studied,  were  marked  as 
"unknown  regions." 

The  last  half  century  has  been  especially  prolific  in 
great  names,  and  history  can  no  longer  be  taught  apart 
from  biography.  In  making  history  the  nations  of  the 
earth  change  not  only  boundaries  of  empires,  but  the 
habits  and  customs  of  whole  peoples. 

Once  science  delighted  in  a  few  chosen  worshipers. 


^12  Co7nmo?t   Se?ise  Didactics 

Cuvier  and  Humboldt,  Agassiz  and  Morse,  were  high 
priests  in  the  secret  places  of  her  sanctuary.  Now  she 
throws  wide  open  the  gates  of  her  temples,  and  the 
great  refrain  of  her  praise  is  full  of  the  voices  of  the 
common  people.  The  mechanic  or  the  laborer  has 
more  avenues  of  scientific  investigation  opened  to  him 
through  books  and  journals  than  were  known  to  the 
professed  scientists  fifty  years  ago. 

To  impart  useful  knowledge  and  to  inform  the  child 
of  the  sources  of  knowledge,  are  two  ends  to  be  kept 
in  mind  by  the  teacher.  In  both  respects  the  text- 
book alone  is  insufficient.  In  order  to  bring  the  text- 
book within  reach  of  the  parent's  means  most  authors 
have  reduced  it  to  a  mere  epitome;  a  compendium, 
embracing  only  certain  facts,  or  general  truths. 

Intelligent  teaching  is  not  content  with  this.  Geog- 
raphy and  biography  both  must  be  studied  in  connec- 
tion with  history.  Travels,  the  lives  of  eminent 
explorers,  the  commercial  value  of  a  country  must  be 
connected  with  geography.  With  physical  geography 
the  child  studies  the  contour  of  the  continent,  the  sup- 
plies of  fuel,  of  building  material,  the  mineral  resources, 
and  the  products  which  constitute  the  wealth  of  agri- 
cultural states.  I  have  indicated  but  a  few  of  the  many 
lines  which  can  be  successfully  followed  out  by  the 
pupil,  aided  and  directed  by  the  teacher.  It  is  impos- 
sible for  either  to  do  this  without  books  of  reference. 
(See  page  72.) 

We  may  with  profit  devote  a  little  space  to  consider- 
ing the  best  methods  of  making  the  school  library 
useful,  and  also  to  the  character  of  the 
t  rary.  i^^^j^g  which  should  be  found  upon  the 
shelves.  Then  we  will  talk  of  the  reading  best  adapted 
to  improve  the  teacher. 


Books   and   Th  eir   Uses  jij 

We  cannot  overestimate  the  influence  of  books  upon 
the  child's  mind.  Goldsmith's  Vicar  of  Wakefield  g2LVQ 
tone  to  the  intellectual  development  of  Goethe. 
Irving,  when  a  boy,  read  with  eagerness  Robinson 
Crusoe^  and  afterward  Chaucer  and  Spenser.  William 
Wirt  read  in  the  library  of  a  Presbyterian  minister  with 
whom  he  studied,  and  Whittier  read  Shakespeare  by 
stealth,  when  at  work  in  the  fields  of  his  father's  farm. 
Dr.  Livingstone,  as  a  boy  of  ten,  worked  in  a  cotton 
factory;  yet  he  read  and  studied,  not  only  at  night, 
but  during  the  hours  of  labor.  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  a 
celebrated  divine  and  scholar,  was  a  dunce  at  school; 
but  in  after  life  he  was  wont  to  attribute  his  literary 
taste  to  reading  Jack  the  Giant-Killer,  Arabian  Nights, 
Sir  Francis  Drake,  The  Pilgrim! s  Progress,  and  similar 
works. 

It  is  one  aim  of  the  school  to  develop  right-minded- 
ness in  the  pupils.  That  it  fails  to  do  so  is  a  most  seri- 
ous charge.  The  enemies  of  the  public  z^w/  -^ 
school  system  regard  this  as  the  vulnerable  edness  to  be 
point,  and  are  massing  their  forces  against  ^"'^^d  at. 
it.  It  does  not  avail  anything  that  these  charges  are 
in  a  measure  untrue.  The  main  charge,  that  we  fail  to 
make  our  teachings  reach  out  into  the  homes  of  the 
pupils,  is  true.  The  mental  growth  of  the  child  at 
school  should  not  be  separated  from  his  mental  growth 
at  home.  When  they  are  in  the  same  line  the  greatest 
progress  is  made;  when  they  are  in  opposing,  or 
diverging  lines,  one  or  the  other  must  eventually  pre- 
dominate and  become  the  character  of  the  man. 

The  school  library  promises  to  furnish  the  missing 
link  between  the  school  and  the  home.  The  book,  in 
the  hands  of  the  child,  carries  on  the  work  of  the 
school   in   a  more   attractive   form,  or  silently  repeats 


^14  Com?no?i   Sense   Didactics 

the  lessons  of  virtue  and  morality  which  he  hears  from 
the  lips  of  the  living  teacher. 

It  is  well  to  dwell  for  a  moment  upon  this  point,  for 

the  idea  is  gaining  ground  very  rapidly  that  the  library 

is  a  necessary  adjunct  to  the  school.     In 

Jnthe^htnU  ^^^  ^^"^^  ^^  ^"  intelligent,  cultivated 
teacher  the  library  becomes  a  most  useful 
auxiliary  in  reaching  the  people  in  their  homes. 
Without  it,  school  extension  is  wellnigh  impossible. 
The  boy  who  is  interested  in  his  reading,  and  talks 
about  it  at  home  and  in  school,  is  not  generally  a  diffi- 
cult boy  to  manage.  Those  young  people  in  the  com- 
munity who  come  back  occasionally  to  the  schoolhouse 
for  a  book  from  the  library  form  a  bond  of  sympathy 
between  the  school  and  the  public,  which  goes  far 
toward  establishing  and  maintaining  mutual  confi- 
dence and  respect.     Encourage  this  custom. 

Probably  not  thirty  per  cent  of  the  children  in  our 
schools  advance  beyond  the  elementary  branches,  yet 
they  are  to  vote,  to  hold  office,  and  to  enjoy  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  citizenship.  Their  toil  will  be  light- 
ened, their  lives  made  brighter,  the  home  atmosphere 
rendered  purer  and  more  wholesome  by  teaching  them 
as  a  part  of  their  school  education,  to  consult  the 
printed  page  along  lines  of  which  literature,  science, 
history,  or  art  are  the  chief. 

This  matter  of  libraries,  the  choice  of  books,  how  to 
read  them,  how  to  induce  pupils  and  people  to  read 
them,  deserves  much  more  attention  than  it  receives 
from  teachers. 

In  our  normal  schools,  and  in  our  institutes  and  asso- 
ciations, we  dwell  too  exclusively  upon  the  technical 
side  of  the  subject  as  presented  by  the  text-book,  or  as 
elucidated   in   some  favorite  method.     "How  shall  I 


Books  and  Their   Uses  j/5 

best  teach  reading,  writing,  arithmetic?"  are  important 
questions;  but  far  greater  is  the  question:  "How  shall 
I  reach  the  pupil  in  his  innermost  consciousness,  so 
that  he  will  continually  grow,  not  alone  in  knowledge 
but  in  wisdom?" 

That  he  should  be  able  to  earn  an  honest  living  and 
support  those  dependent  upon  him,  is  a  worthy  aim. 
To  this  end  honesty,  prudence,  economy,  thrift,  all 
should  be  inculcated  in  his  daily  lessons.  Yet  it  is 
much  more  important  so  to  shape  and  mould  his  educa- 
tion at  school  and  at  home  that  it  may  influence  his 
entire  conduct  toward  his  neighbor  and  the  world, 
and  that,  when  dying,  he  may  feel  that  his  life  has 
added  a  unit  to  the  sum  total  of  human  happiness. 

The  books  in  a  library  should  tend  to  promote  moral 
and  intellectual  growth.     Books  cannot  be  read  with- 
out exerting  some  influence.     They  elevate       ^,    .  ^ 
or  degrade;  they  strengthen  or  weaken;  they      ence  of 
add   to,    or    subtract    from,   mental    force.      books. 
One  man    reaps    tares,    and    another   gathers    golden 
grain,    in    the   same    field,   because  of   the   seed   sown 
somewhere  in  his  early  life.     Books  are  but  tools  in 
the  artist's  hands. 

At  times  I  think  that  we  are  sculptors  more  skillful 
than  any  in  the  studios  of  Florence  or  Rome;  that  we 
are  painters  in  a  higher  sense  than  any  of  the  masters 
of  the  old  world.  If  sometimes  our  clumsy  touch 
seems  to  mar  the  beautiful  figure  we  would  make,  if 
now  and  then  the  faces  we  would  paint  seem  to  grow 
dim  and  fade  from  the  canvas,  it  is  only  because  our 
mortal  senses  are  too  dull  and  gross  to  fashion  the 
form,  or  to  divine  the  colors,  which  only  the  clearer 
light  of  eternity  can  bring  into  full  relief. 

Sancho   Panza   said:     "Blessings   on    him    that   first 


^i6  Co?nmo?i   Seiise   Didactic s 

invented  sleep";  rather,  blessed  be  he  who  first  invented 
books;  through  them  "the  broken  sounds  of  life  be- 
come a  song  and  life  itself  a  long  sweet  melody." 

There  are  two  classes  of  pupils  in  your  school  who 

will  need  special  attention — those  who  are  no:  fond  of 

reading  anything,  and  those  who  n  id  every- 

^ooks^^       thing.     The  first  class  must  be  ahured  into 

paths   of   reading,   while    the  second  class 

needs  cultivation  and  direction,  and  sometimes  restraint. 

When  a  pupil  does  not  care  to  take  books  from  the 
library,  or  stops  drawing  them,  do  not  urge  the  matter. 
Such  a  pupil  may  be  given  some  entertaining  volume, 
to  read  during  school  hours,  selected  from  the  books 
on  your  table.  Do  not  tell  him  that  you  expect  to 
examine  him  on  its  contents;  that  will  kill  your  pur- 
pose. The  object  is  to  induce,  if  possible,  a  taste  for 
reading.  This  is  often  the  first  step  toward  leading  a 
child  to  read  at  home. 

Do  not  be  too  particular  about  the  real  worth  of  the 
book,  provided  it  is  not  low,  and  teaches  no  bad  lessons. 
It  should  he  entertaining,  plentifully  illustrated,  and 
with  an  attractive  binding.  If  he  desires  to  carry  it 
home,  that  is  a  good  omen;  allow  him  to  take  it,  even 
though  you  run  the  risk  of  its  being  soiled.  Keep 
such  books  well  covered  and  protected,  but  books  are 
for  use,  not  show.  I  would  not  insist  upon  his  taking 
another  book  at  once,  but  let  him  look  over  several  and 
read  a  little  in  each  until  he  is  interested  in  one  of  them. 

In   the   case   in   which    the   pupil   reads  too  much, 

restrict  him  to  one  book  a  week  and  require  a  carefully 

prepared  account,  either  verbal  or  written, 

The  library  £  j^g  contents.  Set  apart  a  certain  time 
half  hour.  ,  ,  ,,         -V     ,         ,  .,  , 

each  week   to  talk  zvtth  the  children,  not 

at  them,  about  books  and  authors,  and  let  the  pupils 


Books   and   Their   Uses  jiy 

have  one-half  the  time  to  express  themselves;  con- 
nect the  reading  of  such  children  with  their  school 
work,  in  part  at  least.  It  is  not  wise  to  do  so  entirely, 
lest,  when  lessons  stop,  the  reading  stops  also. 

During  this  half  hour  the  teacher  has  frequent  oppor- 
tunity to  recommend  this  or  that  book  to  his  pupils; 
to  tell  them  that  a  certain  author  has  written  another 
book  which  is  as  good  as  the  one  they  have  been  talk- 
ing about;  or  to  direct  them  where  to  look  for  an  inci- 
dent, a  story,  or  a  poem.  This  system  gives  these 
advantages:  (a)  It  enables  the  teacher  to  direct  and  con- 
trol the  pupil's  home  reading,  without  seeming  to  inter- 
fere with  his  right  of  choice;  (b)  it  cultivates  language 
and  expression  in  the  most  practical  way;  (c)  it  famil- 
iarizes pupils  with  authors;  and  (d)  it  induces  pupils 
to  form  habits  of  reading  with  care  and  attention. 

Perhaps  you  have  no  library  at  your  disposal.  That 
is  unfortunate,  but  where  there  is  a  will  there  is  a 
way.  Question  pupils  as  to  their  reading. 
Encourage  them  to  bring  their  reading  to 
school,  and  do  not  be  too  much  horrified  if  you  find 
that  the  dime  novel  has  its  attractions.  A  prominent 
school  man  says  that  when  eight  years  old  he  read 
Sixteen  String  Jack^  and  kindred  books,  and  even  now 
is  not  ashamed  of  it.  He  would  not  approve  of  that 
kind  of  reading  for  his  own  son,  but  would  provide 
something  more  suitable. 

What  he  really  meant  was,  that  he  was  at  just  that 
age  when  he  must  have  something  to  satisfy  an  unusu- 
ally active  mind,  and  he  took  such  books  because  he  had 
nothing  else  at  hand.  The  active  boy  must  have  some 
adventures  in  the  book  he  loves  to  read.  The  wide- 
awake teacher  will  furnish,  from  history  and  biogra- 
phy,  exactly   such   material    as   is  best   calculated  to 


^i8  Co  mm  0  71   Sense  Didactics 

charm  the  boy  the  more  because  he  knows  it  is  real. 
The  stories  which  our  grandmothers  told  us  of  pioneer 
life  attracted  us  because  we  knew  they  were  true.  The 
little  girl  expressed  it  in  childish  language  when  she 
crawled  up  into  her  father's  lap  and  said,  "Tell  me  a 
really  story,  papa." 

In  a  certain  room  the  teacher  burned  three  dime 
novels  in  one  half  day.  The  pest  disappeared  as  by 
magic,  and  we  congratulated  ourselves  upon 
The  dune  our  easy  victory  over  sin,  until  we  discov- 
ered that  the  boys  still  brought  their  dime 
novels  to  school — and  hid  them  under  the  sidewalk. 
On  their  way  home  at  night  they  exchanged  with  each 
other,  and  laughed  at  their  teacher.  They  had  estab- 
lished a  kind  of  a  clearing  house  for  dime  novels. 

Under  similar  circumstances,  to-day,  I  would  act 
differently.  I  would  encourage  the  boys  to  bring  their 
reading  to  school,  as  a  friend  talk  with  them  about  it, 
offer  them  a  substitute,  and  endeavor  to  lift  them  into 
a  desire  for  something  higher  and  better.  You  must 
get  the  boy's  confidence,  which  you  do  not  get  when 
you  destroy  the  book  in  which  he  has  the  right  of 
ownership.  I  have  seen  revenge,  anger,  and  malice 
flash  out  of  the  boy's  eyes  at  the  destruction  of  his 
rubber  gun  or  of  his  dime  novel  by  the  teacher.  Before 
he  reached  home  he  had  another  gun,  or  a  worse  book. 
The  poor  birds  paid  the  penalty,  or  he  himself  suffered 
from  the  book.  The  right  of  ownership  is  just  as 
sacred  to  the  boy  as  to  the  man. 

Possibly  you  teach  in  a  school  in  which  your  entire 
time  is  taken  up  in  hearing  lessons,  and  the  entire  time 
of  the  pupil  at  home  and  in  school  is  taken  up  in  study- 
ing or  reciting  lessons.  All  1  have  to  say  in  such  a 
case  is:     "Reform   is  necessary."     In   his  early  boy- 


Books  and   Their   Uses  jig 

hood,  Hosace  Greeley  was  a  reader  of  newspapers,  and 
was  so  thoroughly  posted  in  current  events  that  he  was 
cited  as  authority  in  political  discussions.  Frequently  a 
disputed  question  in  history  or  politics  was  settled  by 
reference  to  him.  "We'll  leave  it  to  Horace,"  and  his 
word  decided  it.  If  we  ever  get  over  this  age  of  cram, 
of  measuring  off  learning  by  the  page,  as  the  merchant 
measures  off  calico  by  the  yard,  more  time  will  be 
given  the  pupils  to  read  and  to  digest  what  they  read. 

In  selecting  books   for   library  use,  the  book  which 
contains  low  slang  phrases  should  be  dis-   c/    /•  ^ 
carded;    so  should   one  which   teaches   by  books  for  the 
expression,   or    inference,    any    degree   of  ^^^^^^J- 
irreverence  for  sacred  things. 

Do  not  place  on  the  library  shelf  a  book  which 
teaches  that  it  is  smart  to  thwart  the  wishes  of  parents 
or  teachers.  Peck's  Bad  Boy,  outrageously  disgusting 
in  its  incidents,  and  bad  in  its  tendency,  differs  from 
some  others  only  in  that  its  teachings  are  stripped  of 
all  disguises,  and  the  stories  are  told  in  plain,  bold 
English. 

We  ought,  also,  to  throw  out  all  books  that  tend  to 
familiarize  the  child  with  the  haunts  of  vice,  or  the 
ways  of  villains,  in  our  large  cities.  Vice  will  force 
itself  into  the  presence  of  the  child  soon  enough,  with- 
out any  help  from  books.  Pope's  second  thought  was 
best  when  he  wrote: 

Vice  is  a  monster  of  so  frightful  mien 
As,  to  be  hated,  needs  but  to  be  seen ; 
Yet  seen  too  oft,  familiar  with  her  face, 
We  first  endure,  then  pity,  then  embrace. 

Some  one  writes  that  we  should  avoid  rubbish  in  a 
school  library.  It  is  very  true;  but  children's  reading 
should  be  such  as  not  to  cultivate  a  taste  for  rubbish. 


J20  Common   Sense   Didactics 

There  has  been  a  great  change  in  the  character  of 
books  designed  for  children,  since  Maria  Edgeworth 
wrote  Harry  and  Lucy  and  Popular  Tales^ 
^ooif^'''  and  Mary  Russell  Mitford  wrote  Our  Village. 
The  wells  which  the  servants  of  our  fathers 
dug  in  their  days,  the  Philistines  have  stopped  up  and 
filled  with  earth. 

While  the  shelves  of  the  bookstores  fairly  groan  with 
the  weight  of  books  prepared  expressly  for  children,  it 
is  possible  that  children  are  receiving  an  injury  from  the 
character  of  some  of  the  books  which  they  read.  The 
book  which  conveys  information,  increases  the  power 
of  expression,  induces  thought,  and  makes  a  lasting 
impression,  is  a  good  book  for  the  child.  He  grows 
strong,  manly,  and  independent  through  reading  it. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  book  from  which  all  life  and 
vitality  has  been  extracted;  which,  with  a  view  of 
bringing  it  down  to  the  level  of  the  child's  mind,  has 
been  diluted  until  it  has  lost  the  vigor  of  thought  and 
clearness  of  expression  which  characterize  the  author, 
is  not  a  good  book  for  children.  The  intent  is  to  make 
it  even  more  interesting  and  attractive  than  it  was  as  it 
came  from  the  author's  hands,  but  it  has  been  robbed 
of  its  power  of  inducing  thought,  and  is  no  longer  to 
be  classed  among  books  suitable  for  the  district  library. 
Robi7iso7i  Crusoe  in  words  of  one  syllable  is  not  the  same 
Robinson  Crusoe  which  De  Foe  wrote;  and  Little  Nell 
of  Dickens'  creation  is  best  portrayed  in  Dickens'  own 
words. 

Julian  Hawthorne  says  that  books  for  children  should 
be  such  as  you  like  to  read  because  they  interest  you. 
The  little  girl  came  to  her  teacher  with  the  request  to 
let  her  keep  her  library  book  another  week.  "First 
father  read  it,  then  mother,  and  now  sister  is  reading 


Books   arid   Th  eir    Us e s  J2i 

it.      I  guess   I   can   have   it  next  week."     The  child 

enjoyed  the  book  all  the  more  because  others  of  the 

family  liked  to  read  it. 

The  school  library  must  be  picked  out  with  certain 

ends  in  view.     It  must  contain  on  its  shelves,  not  alone 

history,    poetry,    fiction,    but    also    books 

,  .  /;    ^  ,u     •   ^     *.  •      •     .u        'A  ^    What  the 

which  bear  upon  the  industries  in  the  midst  school  libra- 

of  which  the  school  is  located.     A  library  ry  should 

suitable  for  farmer's  boys  and  girls  is  not 

the  best  for  children  whose  parents  work  in  mines  or 

factories. 

If  nature  study  is  to  be  permanently  installed  in  its 
appropriate  place,  it  must  not  be  allowed  to  degener- 
ate into  meaningless  talk,  lest  the  same  fate  overtake 
it  which  has  fallen  upon  the  object  teaching  of  twenty 
years  ago.  There  is  scarcely  a  trace  of  object  teaching 
left  to-day,  and,  unless  we  are  careful,  in  twenty  years 
nature  study  will  be  classed  with  the  lost  fads. 

Do  not  misunderstand  me  as  opposing  nature  study. 
Only,  nature  study  must  call  for  the  exercise  of 
research  and  application  on  the  part  of  the  pupils  as 
well  as  the  teacher.  The  library  must  furnish  books  to 
be  read  by  the  teacher  and  pupils  in  connection  with 
these  subjects  which  I  have  mentioned  as  of  impor- 
tance to  the  school  and  to  the  community  about  it. 
(See  page  70.) 

Without  preparation  and  training  in  methods, 
teachers  can  no  more  instruct  intelligently  in  nature 
study  than  they  can  in  language  or  numbers.  The 
object  of  the  lesson  is  not  alone  to  inform,  but  to  stim- 
ulate and  to  create  a  desire  to  know  more.  This  de- 
sire, awakened  by  an  enthusiastic  teacher,  dies  out 
unless  the  library  supplies  something  to  nourish  and 
strengthen  it. 


J22  Com?non   Sense   Didactics 

I  gravely  fear  that  the  books  usually  selected  for  the 
library  are  not  of  the  character  here  indicated.  They 
do  not  furnish  the  sustenance  needed  for  a  healthy 
growth  of  mind, 

I  desire  not  to  criticize  too  severely.  The  suggestion 
that  much  greater  care  should  be  taken  in  selecting 
books,  that  many  should  be  rejected  because  the  only 
claim  they  have  is  their  ability  to  amuse,  and  their 
places  supplied  with  those  of  a  higher  grade,  is  perhaps 
all  that  there  is  time  to  offer  in  this  chapter.  The 
library  should  be  selected  with  a  definite  purpose  in 
view.  The  old  order  of  things  must  soon  pass  away, 
and  in  the  new  curriculum  there  will  be  use  for  books 
bearing  upon  every  subject  connected  with  social  life 
in  the  country  or  city. 

The  strength  of  the  country  school  should  be  in  the 

library.      Not  in  the  heterogeneous   mass  of    books, 

bearing  upon    everything    in   general    and 
Books/or  ,,  .  ^    .^         ,.     /       ^ ^   .     ^        ,,       . 

t/u  country    nothmg  m   particular,    but  m   a  collection 

school  carefully  made  up  and  chosen,  having  in 

^  ^^^7-         view    the  highest    possible    usefulness     to 

pupils  and  people. 

Let  me  briefly  recapitulate.  The  library,  in  order  to 
he  of  the  greatest  service  to  the  community  tributary 
to  it,  should  contain: 

First,  books  which  treat  of  agriculture,  or  of  the 
industry  most  prominent  in  that  region  because  it  fur- 
nishes the  means  of  living  to  the  inhabitants.  They 
should  pertain  especially  to  whatever  is  the  center  of 
interest  to  that  people. 

Second,  those  which  treat  of  animal  life:  the  birds 
most  pleasing  as  songsters,  and  those  most  useful  in 
destroying  injurious  insects  and  worms;  the  care  of 
bees;  the  habits  of  ants  and  wasps;  the  care  of  domes- 


Books  a7id  Their   Uses  J2j 

ticated  animals,  and  the  profit  in  raising  them.  Above 
all  things  children  should  read  books  which  have  a 
humane  side  as  regards  the  life  which  is  about  them. 

Third,  horticultural  books,  which  treat  of  fruit 
trees,  of  grafting  and  pruning,  of  vineyards,  of  small 
fruits  which  every  family  can  raise  with  slight  expense, 
but  which  add  to  the  comfort  of  the  table  and  swell  the 
purse  from  which  the  housewife  purchases  the  many 
little  things  needed  in  her  family. 

Fourth,  books  which  treat  of  floriculture.  The  real 
poetry  of  life  is  the  beauty  of  the  rose,  the  wild  flowers 
on  the  prairie  or  in  the  woods.  Window  gardening 
and  the  care  of  lawns  and  shrubbery,  with  a  view  of 
beautifying  the  laborer's  home  should  be  included. 
The  aesthetic  side  of  the  child's  nature  will  always 
respond  to  the  influence  of  chaste,  pure,  beautiful  sur- 
roundings. 

Fifth,  on  the  shelves  should  be  books  treating  of 
arbor  culture.  The  child  should  be  interested  in  trees; 
how  to  plant  and  transplant  them.  Which  trees  are 
most  useful  for  timber,  for  fruit,  for  shade,  for  beauty, 
and  which  are  of  the  most  rapid  growth,  may  be  bene- 
ficial subjects  for  research  and  discussion. 

Sixth,  on  another  shelf  should  be  found  books  that 
are  to  be  read  in  connection  with  geography,  a  subject 
which  cannot  be  rationally  taught  without  reference  to 
mineralogy,  meteorology,  and  geology.  There  should 
also  be  an  abundance  of  historical  works  and  books  of 
travel.  These  latter  should  be  plentifully  illustrated. 
We  do  not  appreciate  how  much  a  child  can  get  out  of 
a  picture  in  the  books  he  reads.  Elementary  books 
along  these  lines,  and  at  the  disposal  of  the  pupil  and 
the  teacher,  add  to  the  interest  of  the  school  and  the 
success  of  the  teacher's  work. 


^24  Common   Sense  Didactics 

Seventh,  there  also  should  be  a  miscellaneous  col- 
lection suitable  for  reading  at  the  fireside,  or  in  the 
family  circle.  Not  every  new  book  that  is  published 
should  find  lodgment  in  the  school  library.  Only 
those  should  be  given  a  place  which  are  pure  in  style 
and  elevating  in  sentiment.  Dickens  and  Hawthorne, 
Cooper  and  Prescott,  Tennyson  and  Longfellow  ever 
must  hold  the  first  place  as  choice  English  classics. 
The  dictionary  and  a  variety  of  reference  books  should 
never  be  omitted.  We  make  a  mistake  when  we  limit 
the  usefulness  of  the  library  to  the  pupils  in  attendance 
at  the  school.  There  must  be  available  on  its  shelves 
books  for  home  reading  for  the  family.  History  and 
biography,  travels  and  science,  art,  poetry,  and  fiction 
all  are  needed  to  enlarge  the  horizon  of  the  citizen's 
knowledge  and  to  make  him  "a  citizen  of  the  world." 
The  farmer's  institute,  the  lyceum,  the  debating  club, 
the  mother's  club  should  be  stronger  and  more  effective 
because  of  the  inspiration  drawn  from  the  books  in  the 
school  library.  The  questions  which  arise  in  parlia- 
mentary law,  in  civil  government,  in  the  state  and 
national  constitutions,  should  be  answered  by  reference 
to  the  best  authorities.     (See  page  67.) 

The  library  should  be  open  to  the  young  people  who 
have  left  school,  but  reside  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
power  and  usefulness  and  happiness  of  the 
ofuselo^^^  teacher  will  be  increased,  if  from  the  regis- 
all young  ter  he  will  learn  their  names,  and  then  take 
P^  P  ^-  pains  to  make  their  acquaintance  and  enlist 

their  sympathy  in  the  support  of  the  library  and  the 
school.  "Any  one  who  is  a  pupil  of  this  school  can 
use  these  books,"  is  too  narrow  a  regulation.  "Any 
one  is  welcome  to  this  library  who  is  a  resident  of 
the  district  and  will  give  assurance  that  the  books  will 


Books  and  Their   Uses  J25 

be  carefully  read  and  promptly  returned,"  would  be 
far  better. 

In  a  certain  kindergarten  room  in  Ohio,  the  follow- 
ing sentence  is  posted  up  where  no  one  who  enters  the 
front  door  can  fail  to  see  it:  "The  object  of  this  house 
is  to  provide  a  center  for  the  social,  mental,  and  moral 
life  of  the  people;  to  educate  the  children,  to  encour- 
age the  parents,  and  to  assist  the  workers,  that  life  may 
be  brighter  and  happier  for  all."  Change  the  word 
house  to  library^  and  you  have  exactly  my  idea  of  the 
purpose  of  a  school  library. 

There  is  space  for  a  short  discussion  of  our  third 
topic — the  reading  most  beneficial  to  the  teacher. 

As  a  general  rule  the  American  people  read  every- 
thing. There  are  books,  papers,  magazines,  in  nearly 
every  home.  The  doors  of  countless  libra-  ^, 
ries  are  open  to  children  and  adults,  so  that  teacher's 
no  one  can  say,  "I  can  get  nothing  to  reading. 
read."  Most  people  read  without  much  discrimina- 
tion.    An  old  poet  remarked: 

Most  readers,  like  good-natured  cows. 
Keep  browsing  and  forever  browse ; — 
If  a  fair  flower  comes  in  their  way, 
They  take  it,  too,  nor  ask,  "What,  pray?" 
Like  other  fodder  it  is  food, 
And  for  the  stomach  quite  as  good. 

R.  H.  Quick  says:  "Reading  some  books  is  like 
going  down  hill — you  can  hardly  stop.  Reading  others 
is  like  going  up  hill,  and  the  ascent  sometimes  becomes 
so  very  steep  that  further  progress  becomes  impossible. 
I  don't  often  read  the  down-hill  books,  which  consist 
mostly  of  good  fiction.  It  would,  perhaps,  be  better 
for  me  if  I  did,  for,  in  consequence  of  always  going  up 
hill,  I  get  accustomed  to  very  slow  action.    A  run  down 


j2d  Co  mm  0  71   Sense  Didactic  s 

hill  would  raise  my  spirits,  and  I  dare  say  prove  no 
loss  of  time  in  the  end." 

In  this  Quick  recommends  two  kinds  of  reading: 
that  which  requires  thought  and  study,  which  is  like 
going  up  hill,  and  that  which  consists  mostly  of  good 
fiction,  which  is  easily  read  and  which  is  like  going 
down  hill.  The  first  is  mainly  professional  reading. 
It  is  a  pity  that  we  include  in  the  term  professional 
only  those  books  which  treat  of  pedagogy,  psychology, 
and  methods.  There  are  other  lines  pertaining  to 
literature,  history,  science,  and  general  information, 
which  are  professional  in  the  highest  sense.  In  fact, 
any  reading  which  gives  the  teacher  additional  power 
as  an  instructor,  widens  his  range  of  information,  and 
gives  a  clearer  insight  into  the  pupils'  needs  and 
mental  powers,  is  to  be  encouraged. 

This  uphill  reading,  as  Quick  terms  it,  requires  con- 
stant, persistent  thought.  With  pencil  in  hand,  the 
reader  scans  the  page,  stops  here  and  there  to  mark  and 
re-read  a  striking  passage;  perhaps  he  fails  to  gather 
just  the  author's  ideas  or  thoughts  until  he  has  time  to 
weigh  the  words  and  study  the  construction,  but  he  does 
not  consider  the  reading  finished  until  he  has  made  the 
author's  thought  his  own.  It  is  slow  work,  at  times, 
but  it  makes  a  student  of  the  reader.     (See  page  98.) 

A  book  read  in  this  way  will  bear  re-reading  again 
and  yet  again,  and  every  reading  will  bring  new 
thoughts  to  the  surface.  Such  a  book  becomes  in  time 
an  old  friend,  staunch  and  true,  to  hold  converse  with 
whom  is  a  perpetual  delight.  Have  a  quiet  room;  fix, 
as  far  as  possible,  upon  a  certain  allotted  time  each 
day;  give  your  entire  attention  to  your  book,  and  you 
will  be  surprised  at  the  results,  even  though  you  allot 
to  it  but  thirty  minutes  at  a  sitting. 


Books  and   Their   Uses  jiy 

The  question  is  sometimes  raised,  whether  it  is  not  a 
waste  of  time  to  read   novels.     When  I  was  a  boy  my 
brother   made   me   a  bow  of  hickory,   and    o    ^-      ,«• 
showed  me  how  to  use  it.     After  a  time  he  twn  by  the 
left   it   in   my  hands,  with  this  injunction:  ^'^^'^^f^^^- 
"Be  sure  and  loosen  the  string  when  the  bow  is  not  in 
use.      You  will   ruin   it   if  you  keep  it  strung  all  the 
time."    The  teacher  who  leads  a  strenuous  life  at  home 
and  at  school,  with  little  or  no   relaxation,   loses  his 
elasticity  of  mind  and   soon  ceases  to  do  good   work. 
It  is  the  dull,  dead  monotony,  the  ceaseless  grind,  that 
brings  on  prostration  and  eventually  drives  the  teacher 
out  of  the  schoolroom.     (See  page  201.) 

A  teacher  who  leaves  his  schoolroom  Friday,  wearied 
with  the  week's  work,  and,  unrested,  returns  to  it  Mon- 
day, may  find  relief  if  he  has  on  hand  some  reading 
which  he  enjoys.  Some  story  of  the  day,  some  tale 
by  an  old  author,  anything  to  take  his  mind  off  his 
school  and  school  duties,  will  help  him  rest. 

My  advice  is  that  you  have  two  lines  of  reading,  the 
one  of  which  you  follow  carefully  and  thoughtfully 
the  other  you  may  read  for  relaxation  and  amusement. 
They  are  equally  necessary  to  your  success. 

You  should  own  some  of  the  books  which  give  you 
the  most  delight.  One  or  two  good  books  purchased 
every  year  will  strengthen  your  love  of  -^,  .  , 
reading.  There  is  a  pride  of  ownership  in  should  own 
a  book,  which  makes  it  a  part  of  your  ^^^^^^ 
family,  so  to  speak — a  part  in  which  you  never  lose 
interest.  There  are  a  few  suggestions  to  which  I  wish 
to  call  your  attention.  In  every  case  choose  books 
that  are  a  well  of  pure,  undefiled  English.  Of  the  last 
century,  Dickens,  Hawthorne,  Thring,  Scott,  Cooper, 
Tennyson,  Thackeray  are   among  the  best   examples. 


J28  Common   Sense  Didactics 

Of  living  authors  there  is  a  great  multitude,  which  no 
man  can  number.  Few  of  them  will  survive  through 
the  ages.  For  the  present  you  must  be  guided  by 
your  taste. 

Again,  do  not  read  books  which  are  too  far  above 
your  comprehension.  I  know  we  sometimes  take  pride 
in  saying  we  have  read  them,  but  they  are  not  written 
for  us,  and  we  get  no  benefit  from  our  attempt  to  under- 
stand them.  And  don't  read  everything  that  some 
friend  recommends  to  you  as  good.  "What  is  one 
man's  meat  is  another  man's  poison."  Some  books 
are  to  be  read  with  the  understanding;  some  with  the 
heart. 

Every  teacher  should  include  the  Bible  among  the 

books  with  which   she  should  be   acquainted.     I   say 

nothing  of  it  here  as  a  religious  book,  but 

Reading  simply  as  a  book  of  whose  literature  no 
the  Bible.  \^  re      ^        ^      •  tvt    •  , 

teacher  can  afford  to  be  ignorant.     Neither 

do  I  say  anything  of  its  use  in  the  schoolroom.  In 
that  you  must  be  guided  by  the  laws  of  the  state,  the 
rules  of  the  Board,  and  by  your  own  judgment  of  what 
is  best.  But  its  precepts  are  at  the  foundation  of  all 
moral  training  in  school,  and  of  all  right  living  in  life. 
The  excavations  of  buried  cities  in  the  East  are  proving 
that  its  history  is  in  the  main  reliable.  Its  pages  con- 
tain the  loftiest  poetry,  the  purest  code  of  morals,  the 
deepest  philosophy  of  any  book  in  existence.  Without 
the  strength  and  influence  which  come  from  the  Bible 
our  civilization  could  not  endure  for  one  generation. 
My  advice  to  teachers  is  not  alone  to  read  the  Bible, 
but  to  study  it,  that  they  may  be  ready  to  explain  ref- 
erence made  to  it  in  any  branch;  and  above  all  to 
emphasize  its  teaching  in  the  everyday  life  of  the 
school.     Its  maxims,  its  precepts,  its  poetry  may  be 


Books  and  Their   Uses  J2g 

taught  and  infringe  upon  no  man's  liberty  of  con- 
science. They  must  be  taught  if  our  children  are  to 
live  in  a  Christian  civilization.     (See  page  127.) 

After  all,  books  are  to  be  read  with  a  purpose.  The 
intelligent  reader  gets  from  them  the  same  assistance 
that  the  pioneer  gets  from  the 

Grubbing-Hoe  and  the  Axe. 

Quotations  Worth  Reading 

books,  their  use  and  abuse. 

In  science,  where  the  highest  intellectual  qualities  are  brought 
into  play,  most  of  the  great  discoverers  have  owed  their  entire 
scientific  knowledge  to  self-taught  methods  of  investigation. 

—Harold  E.  Gorst. 

You  may  also  confer  an  important  benefit  on  the  neighborhood 
in  which  you  are  employed  by  promoting  the  formation  of  a 
library  of  scientific  and  useful  books.  The  attention  of  the 
young  is  not  sufficiently  given  to  reading  of  the  most  useful  kind. 

—R.  S.  Hall. 

Read  a  little  of  some  good  author  every  day.  Not  that  you 
may  always  make  his  thoughts  your  own,  but  rather  that  his 
thoughts  may  stimulate  yours  and  that  the  purity  of  his  language 
may  be  a  model  for  your  imitation.  A  little  reading  will  oft  make 
an  intellectual  giant,  while  the  gluttonous,  all-devouring  reader 
remains  a  dwarf.  It  is  true  concerning  readers  that  "Pigmies 
are  pigmies  still  though  perched  on  Alps,  and  pyramids  are  pyra- 
mids in  vales." 

—  Talks  to  Young  People. 

Our  own  English  literature  is  probably,  taking  all  things  into 
consideration,  the  richest  of  all  literatures,  and  for  us  it  is  without 
question  far  the  most  valuable.  I  would,  therefore,  recommend 
to  each  one  of  you  to  make  it  a  point  to  become  somewhat  fully 
acquainted  with  this  noble  literature. 

—George  B.  Emerson. 

How  careful  then  should  we  be  to  make  learning  as  agreeable 
as  possible,  to  beware  of  exciting  disgust  toward  study,  and  to 
nurture  a  literary  taste,  not  only  as  good  in  itself  but  as  an 
important  preservative  from  evil  especially  to  boys  in  future  life! 

—Hints  on  Early  Education. 
THE  LIBRARY. 

The  library  has  no  right  to  set  itself  up  as  a  censor  of  public 
morals,   forbidding  men  to  read  anything.     But    since    it    has 


jjo  Co  mm  0  71   Se7ise  Didactics 

important  functions  to  discharge  toward  the  public  it  is  bound  to 
choose  those  books  best  suited  to  its  purpose,  and  must  under- 
stand that  purpose  clearly  and  adapt  the  means  to  the  end. 

—  W.  R.  Eastman. 

I  cannot  believe  that  the  librarian  is  merely  to  register  the 
wishes  of  the  boys  who  want  Buffalo  Bill  or  Peck's  Bad  Boy  or 
the  books  of  this  class  with  which  the  press  is  swarming.  The 
duty  of  the  librarian  is  to  elevate  the  standard  of  taste  in  a  town. 
His  function  is  an  educational  function.  He  represents  among 
books  what  the  director  of  music  does  in  great  opera  houses. 
He  is  to  elevate  as  rapidly  as  possible  the  standard  of  taste  of  the 
town. 

—R.  H.  Jones. 

THE  LIBRARY  HALF  HOUR. 

The  teachers  can  suggest  to  pupils  valuable  books  suitable  for 
their  age,  attainments,  tastes,  and  necessities.  Many  a  boy  has 
been  ruined  by  the  dime  novel,  who  might  have  been  saved  by 
reading  books  of  real  adventure  and  true  heroism,  suggested  to 
him  by  some  thoughtful,  faithful  teacher.  Seldom  does  a  day 
pass  when  the  vigilant  teacher  has  not  an  opportunity  either  in 
class  or  in  private  conversation  to  drop  into  the  prepared  soil  of 
some  pupil's  mind  a  hint  of  some  valuable  book  to  read. 

— Thomas  J.  Morgan. 

There  are  some  people,  old  and  young,  who  will  never  read ; 
there  are  many  who  can  easily  be  made  to  read  too  much.  It  is 
possible  to  read  too  many  books,  even  good  books.  The  Sunday 
School  library,  and  even  the  public  library,  sometimes  bring  to 
the  young  people  too  many  books  to  their  mental  development 
We  need  to  emphasize  the  use  of  books  rather  than  the  reading  of 
books. 

—A.E.  Winship. 

One  point  I  urge;  I  know  it  to  be  essential.  We'don't  take 
pains  enough  to  show  our  pupils  the  beauty  of  English  style.  I 
tried  it  with  a  grammar  school.  During  a  recess  I  picked  up  a 
volume  of  De  Quincey  and  read  it  quietly  to  myself.  The  pupils 
were  still  in  five  minutes  and  came  about  my  desk  to  listen.  If 
you  show  children  the  beauty  of  perfect  English  speech  you  have 
done  more  than  anything  else  to  free  them  from  the  baneful  style 
of  these  objectionable  authors.  Children  appreciate  the  things 
that  are  lovely  and  of  good  report  if  you  put  them  before  them. 

—C.  C.  Rounds. 
FICTION. 

One  must  not  be  altogether  dissatisfied  if  it  is  found  that  the 
novel  is  the  chief  book  in  demand,  especially  in  the  first  five  years 
of  the  home  reading  circle.  In  our  day  the  novel  discusses  every 
question  of  history,  politics,  sociology  and  natural  science.  The 
old-fashioned  novel  which  describes  manners  has  its  great  use, 


Books  and   The  it    Uses  jji 

too,  in  the  fact  that  it  gives  to  the  people  of  whom  we  are 
speaking,  the  people  of  the  rural  districts,  a  ready  knowledge  of 
manners  and  customs  of  polite  society.  In  this  respect  it  is  some- 
times more  useful  than  books  of  science  and  history. 

—  William  T.  Harris. 

The  story  itself  of  Sir  Launfal's  quest  of  the  Holy  Grail  is  one 
easily  appealing  to  the  childish  mind,  and  its  life  lesson, 
"The  Holy  Supper  is  kept,  indeed, 
In  whatso  we  share  with  another's  need; 
Not  what  we  give,  but  what  we  share, 
For  the  gift  without  the  giver  is  bare," 

can  be  taken  into  life  forever. 

—  The  World  Beautiful  in  Books. 

He  who  can  think,  and  loves  to  think,  will  become,  if  he  has 
a  few  good  books,  a  wise  man.  He  who  knows  not  how  to  think, 
or  who  hates  the  toil  of  doing  it  will  remain  imbecile  though  his 
mind  be  crowded  with  the  contents  of  a  library. 

^-The  School  and  the  Schoolmaster. 

THE  BIBLE. 

I  contend  that  we  are  not  only  on  the  point  of  impoverishing 
life  and  literature  by  the  neglect  of  the  English  Bible,  but  that  we 
have  already  impoverished  life  and  literature.  I  am  not  dealing 
with  a  problem  that  lies  in  the  future,  I  am  speaking  of  a  condi- 
tion which  is  at  hand.  We  are  impoverishing  life  and  literature 
by  striking  out  of  our  life  and  our  reading  one  great  monument  of 
our  literature,  the  source  from  which  much  of  what  is  best  in  later 
centuries  is  drawn,  the  inspiration  upon  which  the  best  English 
style  has  been  built. 

— Nicholas  Murray  Butler. 

It  is  apparent  that  familiarity  with  the  English  Bible,  as  a 
masterpiece  of  literature,  is  rapidly  decreasing  among  the  pupils 
in  our  schools.  This  is  the  direct  result  of  a  conception  which 
regards  the  Bible  as  a  theological  book  merely,  and  thereby  leads 
to  its  exclusion  from  the  schools  of  some  states  as  a  subject  of 
reading  and  study.  We  hope  for  such  a  change  of  public  senti- 
ment in  this  regard  as  will  permit  and  encourage  the  reading  and 
study  of  the  English  Bible  as  a  literary  work  of  the  highest  and 
purest  type  side  by  side  with  the  poetry  and  prose  which  it  has 
inspired  and  in  large  part  formed. 

We  do  not  urge  this  in  the  interest  of  sectarian  instruction  of 
any  kind,  but  that  this  great  book  may  ever  be  the  teacher's  aid 
in  the  interpretation  of  history  and  literature,  law  and  life — an 
unrivaled  agency  in  the  development  of  true  citizenship  as  well  as 
in  the  formation  of  pure  literary  style. 

— Resolution  of  National  Educational  Association,  igos. 


JJ2  Co  mm  0  71   Sense  Didactics 


Questions  for  Examination 

/.  Rewrite  the  extract  from  William  Ellery  Channing. 

2.  What  does  Emerson  say  of  books? 

J.  How  would  you  meet  the  evil  of  dime  novels  in  your  school? 

4.  Write  of  the  influence  of  books  upon  the  child's  mind. 

jr.  How  may  you  possibly  lead  a  pupil  to  form  the  reading 
habit? 

6.  What  can  you  do  if  you  have  no  library  at  your  disposal? 

7.  What  suggestions  are  given  for  the  selections  of  library 

books? 

8.  How  should  a  book  be  read  in  order  to  be  of  the  greatest 

use  to  the  reader? 

9.  Mention  a  small  list  of  the  best  English  authors. 

10.  How  may  a  library  period  be  conducted  to  the  best  advan- 
tage? 

Suggestions  Worth  Thinking  About 

1.  Who  was  Hawthorne? 

2.  Who  is  my  one  favorite  author? 

J.  Can  I  afford  to  begin  the  formation  of  a  private  library? 

4.  Am  I  making  myself  acquainted  with  good  literature? 

J-,   "Current  Events" — what  attention  should  be  called  to  them? 


INDEX 

OF  TITLES  AND  SUBDIVISIONS  TREATED  OF  IN  EACH 
CHAPTER 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Nature  and  Character  of  Teaching  —  The  Open  Door 

VGE  page 

Use  of  Discipline. 

Instruction  and  Education. 

Life,  the  Educator. 

The  Child's  Future. 

Importance  of  Study. 

Study  Defined. 

Rosenkranz's  Idea. 

Immaturity  Not  a  Crime. 

Training. 

Habits. 

Skill,  How  Best  Acquired. 

CHAPTER  IL 

The  Teacher  —  The  Master  Builder 

Integrity  and  Honesty. 
Some  Things  in  Confidence. 
Scholarship  :    Cramming. 
Reading  of  Good  Books. 
Growth. 

How  the  Teacher  Should  Pre- 
pare the  Lesson. 
Sympathy  and  Patience. 


9- 

Teaching. 

i6. 

lO. 

Distinction  of  Terms. 

17- 

lO. 

Teaching  vs.  Learning. 

17- 

Freedom. 

i8. 

Mechanical  Teaching. 

i8. 

Baldwin's  Definition. 

19. 

Importance  of  Ideals. 

19. 

Quotation  from  Dr.  James. 

20. 

Growth  of  the  Teacher. 

20. 

Huxley's  Idea. 

20. 

15- 

Knowledge  and  Discipline. 

21. 

i6. 

Knowledge  Not  Power. 

25.    Personal  Appearance. 

31- 

26.     Uniformity  and  Sincerity. 

32. 

27.    Horace  Mann. 

33- 

28.    The  Gift  of  Silence. 

33- 

28.    Criticising  Other  Teachers. 

34- 

29.    Worry. 

34- 

30.    Maintain  a  Good  Opinion  of 

Yourself. 

35- 

31.    Personality. 

CHAPTER  III. 
Preparation  for  Teaching  —  Putting  07i  the  Armor 

Independence  the  Purpose  of 

Education. 
Make  Allowances. 
Adaptability. 
Ideal  Standard  Cannot  Always 

be  Attained. 
Health. 
Pernicious  Habits. 


333 


39- 

Thought. 

47- 

40. 

Teaching  Has  Lasting  Results. 

41. 

Knowledge. 

48. 

41. 

Application  of  Knowledge. 

49. 

43- 

Practical  Value  of  Knowledge. 

50. 

43- 

Danger  of  Ignorance. 

44 

Character  and  Reputation. 

51- 

45- 

Character  vs.  Reputation. 

52- 

46. 

Sympathy  with  Pupils. 

33^ 


Common    Sense   Didactics 


CHAPTER  IV. 
Things  Essential  to  the  Tkacu-ek  — Driving  the  Stakes 


PAGE 

57.  Plan  and  System. 

58.  Child  Nature. 
The  Teacher  of  To-day. 
The  Art  of  Imparting  Knowl- 
edge. 

Steps  in  Imparting. 

Versed  in  Child  Nature. 

Loyalty. 

Relations  to  the  Public. 

Ways  of  Avoiding  Friction. 

The  Study  of  Environment. 


PAGE 

66.    Self-Knowledge  and  Self-Trust. 
Intuition. 

Knowledge  of  the  World. 
The  Avenues  of  Success. 
Duties  and  Rights. 
Wise  Discrimination. 
General  Knowledge. 
The   Teacher  to  be  Versed  ki 

Sources  of  Knowledge. 
Daily  Preparation. 


67. 
67. 
68. 
68. 
70. 
70. 
71- 


72 


CHAPTER  V. 
The  Child  — ^  Little  Child  Shall  Lead  Them 


Senses  of  the  Teacher. 
Psychological  Terms, 
Sensations,  Perceptions,Concep- 

tions. 
Apperception, 
Induction ;  Deduction. 
The  Two  in  Conjunction. 
The  World  in  Its  Infancy. 


77- 

Dealing  with  the  Material. 

86. 

78. 

The  Worth  of  the  Child. 

88. 

79- 

Studying  the  Children. 

89. 

81. 

"What  of  the  Children." 

82. 

Physical  Needs  of  the  Child. 

89. 

83- 

Knowing  the  Child. 

90. 

84. 

Study  of  the  Inner  Life. 

91. 

85. 

Experience  and  Observation. 

92. 

CHAPTER  VL 

Knowledge  Most  Useful  to  the  Children —  The  Making  of  a 

Man 

Arithmetic. 

For  Primary  Teachers. 

Geography. 

Dr.  Harris's  Suggestions. 

The  Desire  to  Know. 

Eye  and  Hand, 

Manual  Training, 

For  Rural  Teachers, 

Quotation  from  Francis  W. 

Parker. 
Laws  of  Health. 
Miscellaneous, 


97- 

Relative  Value  of  Studies. 

108. 

98. 

Reading. 

no. 

ICX>. 

Reading  for  the  Pupil. 

III. 

lOI. 

The  Spiritual  Side. 

III. 

102. 

The  English  Language. 

"3. 

102. 

Suggestions. 

XI4. 

103. 

Grammar, 

"4- 

104. 

Spelling, 

"5- 

105. 

Penmanship, 

117. 

105. 

History. 

107, 

Elementary  Civics. 

X18, 

108. 

Possibilities  of  Life. 

119. 

CHAPTER   VH. 
Morals— Out  of  the  Abundance  of  the  Heart 


The  Cultivation  of  Morality, 
The  Province  of  the  School  in 
Moral  Training, 


126.  Special  Virtues. 

127.  Religion  in  the  Schools. 

128.  What  May  be  Taught. 


Index  of    Titles   and  Subdivisions     jj^ 


Morals 

PAGE 

130,    Extract  from  Cyrus  Peirce. 


130. 

133- 
134- 
134- 
135- 


Motives. 

Motives  Classified. 
The  Will. 

A  Strong  but  Depraved  Will. 
Conscience. 

Strengthen  Both  Conscience 
and  Will. 


Continued 
PAGE 

136.    Children    who   Lack    in    Con- 
science. 

136.  ConditionsFavorabletoGrowth 

of  Conscience. 

137.  Character  Building  Not  the 

Design  of  Education. 

138.  Force  of  Example. 

139.  Conclusion. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
Habits  —  A  Helping  Hand 


145.  Habits  and  Character.  156. 

147.  Power  of  UnconsciousThought.  156. 

148.  Moral  and  Intellectual  Growth.  158. 
148.  Personal  Habits. 

153.  The  Habit  of  Seeing  Things.  159. 

154.  Nature  Study  and  Ethical  159. 

Training.  160. 


Patriotism. 

The  Habit  of  Temperance. 

World's  Work  Done  by  Sober 

Men. 
The  Spirit  of  Instruction. 
The  Tobacco  Habit. 
Summary. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
School  Government  —  In  the  King' s  Name 


165.  Government.  173. 

166.  Authority. 

167.  Teacher  and  Parent.  174. 

168.  The  Aims  of  Authority.  175. 

169.  Characteristics  of  Authority.  176. 

170.  Justice.  176. 

170.  Praise  and  Censure.  177. 

171.  Reason,  the  Foundation.  178. 

172.  Necessity  of  Law  and  Author-  179. 

ity.  180. 


Confidence    Not    Inconsistent 

with  Authority. 
Prevention. 
Arrangement. 
Management. 
Influence. 
Suggestion. 

Points  Worth  Considering. 
Rewards  and  Punishments. 
Wrong  Methods. 


CHAPTER  X. 
The  Hygiene  of  the  School —  To  Keep  the  World  from  Grow- 


ing Old 


185. 

The  Foundation  of  Human 

194. 

Happiness. 

19s. 

186. 

The  Teacher's  Part 

197. 

187. 

Ventilation. 

197. 

188. 

Methods  of  Ventilation. 

198. 

190. 

An  Illustration. 

200. 

191. 

Regulation  of  Heating. 

201. 

191. 

Care  of  the  Eyes. 

201. 

192. 

The  Blackboards. 

202. 

193- 

Print  in  the  Text-book. 

Physical  Culture. 

Gymnastics :   Athletics. 

Water  Supply. 

Contagious  Diseases. 

Janitors. 

General  Considerations. 

Care  of  Outside  Wraps. 

Worry. 

Home  Study. 


336 


Common    Sense   Didactics 


CHAPTER  XL 

The  Cultivation  of  Txsi¥.— Beautiful  Gates  are  for  Beautiful 

Things 


PAGE 

PAGE 

208.    Aims  of  the  Country  School. 

214.    Decorations. 

210.    The  Ideal  Location. 

215.    From  Report  of  Committee  of 

211.    The  Rallying  Place. 

Twelve. 

211.    The  Taste  for  the  Beautiful. 

216.    Drawing. 

213.    Improvement  of  Grounds. 

217.     Singing. 

213.    In  City  Schools. 

218.    Conclusion. 

CHAPTER  Xn. 
The  Recitation—  The  Life  of  the  School 


224. 

The  Recitation. 

231. 

225. 

The  Lesson. 

233- 

226. 

Reassignment  of  Lesson. 

234. 

227. 

The  Class. 

235- 

228. 

Individual   and  Class  Instruc- 

236. 

tion. 

237- 

229. 

Not   Limited    to    Ungraded 

Schools. 

238. 

229. 

The  Teacher. 

240. 

231- 

Teach  the  Art  of  Study. 

Teacher  a  Good  Listener. 
Preparation. 
Unity. 

Thoroughness. 
Spirit  of  Inquiry, 
The  Mechanics  of  the  Recita- 
tion. 
The  Art  of  Questioning. 
The  Written  Recitation. 


CHAPTER  XLLL 
Oral  Instruction  —  By  Man's  Voice  the  Heart  is  Stirred 


245- 

The  Subject  Stated. 

250. 

The  Province  of  Oral  Instruc- 

246. 

Growth  of  Oral  Instruction. 

tion. 

247. 

Nature  of  Oral  Instruction, 

251- 

Freedom  Essential. 

247. 

Interest  Only  One  of  the  Fac- 

253- 

Importance  of  Diversifying 

tors. 

Methods. 

248. 

Purposes  of  Oral  Instruction. 

254- 

Making  Simple  Apparatus. 

249. 

Language  of  Teachers. 

255- 

The  Pupils  Must  Make  an  Effort 

249. 

Avoid  Technical  Terms. 

256. 

Can  You  Teach  ? 

CHAPTER  XLV. 
Memory  —  Man's  Best  Servant 


259- 

Right  Use  of  Memory. 

266. 

260. 

What  is  Memory? 

266. 

a6i. 

Steps  in  Memorizing. 

268. 

262. 

Cultivation  of  Memory. 

264. 

Method  of  Cultivation. 

268. 

^3. 

Attention,  Order,  Repetition. 

269. 

Recollection. 
Kinds  of  Recollection. 
Advantage  of  Memory  and 
Recollection. 
Memory  Involves  Study. 
Miscellaneous. 


Index  of   Titles  and  Subdivisions     jjy 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Imagination,  Attention,  Interest — ''The  Tunes  are  Left 
Forever  in  the  Strings" 


PAGE 

PAG 

E 

274. 

Imagination. 

280. 

Attention. 

275. 

Reproductive  Imagination. 

281. 

How  to  Hold  the  Attention. 

276. 

Constructive  Imagination. 

282. 

Kinds  of  Attention. 

277. 

Its  Value  to  the  Child. 

283. 

Cultivation  of  Attention. 

277. 

Direction  and  Cultivation, 

284. 

Indifference  a  Hindrance. 

278. 

A  Pure  Imagination. 

284. 

Interest. 

279. 

The  Child's  Fantasies. 

285. 

Memory  and  Attention. 

279. 

The  Vision  Faculty. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  Old  vs.  The  New 

—  Let  There  be  Light 

289. 

There  is  no  Superlative. 

298. 

The  Ideal  Way. 

291. 

Foundations. 

299. 

Points  to  be  Aimed  at. 

292. 

Three  Reformers :  Rousseau. 

300. 

Methods. 

293. 

Rousseau's  Ideal  Child. 

302. 

Use  of  Text-books, 

293- 

Pestalozzi  and  His  Ideal. 

303- 

The  Real  Difference  Between 

294. 

Froebel  and  His  Ideal. 

Old  and  New, 

295- 

The  Old  and  the  New  Educa- 

304- 

Changed  Environments. 

tion  Compared. 


CHAPTER  XVIL 
Books  and  Their  Uses  —  The  Grubbing-Hoe  and  the  Axe 

Children's  Books. 

What  the  School  Library 

Should  Contain. 
Books  for  the  Country  School 

Library. 
The  Library  of  Use  to  all  Young 

People. 
The  Teacher's  Reading. 
Reading  Fiction  by  the 

Teacher. 
The  Teacher  Should  Own 

Books. 
Reading  the  Bible. 


309- 

The  Teacher's  Tools. 

320. 

310. 

Books ;  Their  Use  and  Abuse. 

321. 

3"- 

The  Age  of  Investigation. 

312. 

The  Library. 

322. 

313- 

Rightmindedness  to  be  Aimed 

at. 

324- 

3M- 

The  Library  in  the  Home. 

315- 

The  Influence  of  Books. 

325- 

316. 

Choice  of  Books. 

327- 

316. 

The  Library  Half  Hour. 

317- 

Fiction. 

327- 

318. 

The  Dime  Novel. 

319- 

Selecting  Books  for  the  Library. 

328. 

INDEX  OF  AUTHORS  QUOTED 


ARNOLD,  SARAH  L.,  222,  257,  306. 
ARNOLD,  THOMAS,  9. 

BACON,  FRANCIS,  257. 
BALDWIN,  JOSEPH,  21,  23,  94,  271. 
BALLARD,  ADDISON,  39. 
BALLIETT,  THOMAS  M.,  25,  224. 
BARNES,  EARL,  120. 
BARNETT,  P.  A.,  55,  74,  162,  182. 
BEECHER,  HENRY  WARD,  274. 
BERGEN,  J.  Y.,  204. 
BLAIKIE,  WILLIAM,  121. 
BOSTON  PtTBLIC  LIBRARY, 

Motto,  163. 
BRIGHT,  ORVILLE  T.,  75. 
BROOKS,  EDWARD,  21,  22. 
BROOKS,  PHILLIPS,  208. 
BROWN,  DR.  JOHN,  37. 
BURKE,  EDMUND,  143. 
BUTLER,  NICHOLAS    MURRAY, 

331- 

CALDERWOOD,  HENRY,  143,  165, 

257,  272. 
CALKINS,  N.  A.,  77. 
CHANNING,  WILLIAM  ELLERY, 

309- 
CHURCHILL,  F.  F.,  222. 
CICERO,  141. 

CLARKE,  EDWARD  H.,  37,  185. 
CLOUGH,  ARTHUR  HUGH,  289. 
COLTON,  BUEL  P.,  162,  163. 
COMENIUS,94. 
COMPAYRE,  GABRIEL,  22. 
COOPER,  SARAH  B.,  124,  306. 

DARLING,  HENRY,  37. 
De  GARMO,  CHARLES,  306. 
DEXTER  AND  GARLICK,  74,  142, 

221,  271,  272,  274. 
DRAPER,  ANDREW  S.,  162. 
DUTTON,  SAMUEL  T.,  124,  222,  274, 

289. 


FISKE,  LEWIS  RANSOM,  23,  205. 
FITCH,  J.  G.,  37,  183,  240,  242,  257. 
FLEISCHER,    RABBI  CHARLES, 

162. 
FORBUSH,  WILLIAM  BYRON,i6i. 
FOWLER,  WILLIAM  K.,  222. 
FROEBEL,  FREDERICK,  307. 

GILL,  JOHN,  141,  161. 
GORDY,  J.  P.,  259,  272,  287. 
GORST,  HAROLD  E.,  329. 
GREGORY,  JOHN  M.,  162. 

HALE,  EDWARD  EVERETT,  55. 
HALLECK,  REUBEN  POST,  23. 
HALL,  G.  STANLEY,  206. 
HALL,  R.  S.,329. 
HAM,  CHARLES  H„  121. 
HARRIS,  WILLIAM  T.,  121, 161,  165, 

224,  242,  271,  286,  287,  309,  331. 
HARRISON,  ELIZABETH,  93. 
HELVETIUS,  271. 
HILLIS,  NEWELL  DWIGHT,  120, 

121,  243,  308. 
HINSDALE,  BURK  A.,  94,  95,  120, 

241,  242,  259,  287,  308. 
HODGE,  CLIFTON  F.,  206. 
HOLMES,     OLIVER    WENDELL, 

165. 
HOOD,  THOMAS,  39. 
HOPKINS,  MARK,  143,  271,  286. 
HOWLAND,    GEORGE,    36,  57,  74, 

224,  257,  272,  273. 
KUXLEY,  185. 

JACKMAN,  WILBUR  S.,  257. 
JAMES,  WILLIAM,  39,  57,  286,  287. 
JOHONNOT,  JAMES,  54,  271, 
JONES,  RICHARD  H.,  330. 

RARR,  grant,  23. 
KEATS,  JOHN,  aao. 
KERN,  O.J. ,221. 

KOTELMANN,  LUDWIG,  203,  204, 
ao6. 


EASTMAN,  W.  R.,  330.  LANDON,  JOSEPH,  54,  73,  142,  181, 

ELIZABETH,  CHARLOTTE,  183.  203. 

EMERSON,  GEORGE  B.,  329.  LOWELL,  JAMES  RUSSELL,  aao. 


hidex  of  AutJiors    Quoted 


339 


MACLAREN,  IAN,  124. 

MANN,   HORACE,    36,  97,   163,   185, 

205,  219,  245,  309. 
MAYHEW,  IRA,  203,  205. 
McMURRY,    CHARLES    A.     and 

FRANK  M.,  94,  308. 
MITCHELL,     DONALD     GRANT, 

75- 
MORE,  HANNAH,  97,  182. 
MORGAN,  THOMAS  J.,  93,  307,  33o- 

OGDEN,  JOHN,  182. 

PAGE,  DAVID  P.,  21,  37,  93,  143,  163, 

182,  183,  241. 
PALMER,  FRANCIS  B.,  95,  182,  259, 
PARKER,    FRANCIS    W.,    36,    77, 

120,  121. 
PATRICK,  J.  N.,  224,  241. 
PAYNE,  W.  H.,  25,  37,  54,  120,  242, 

257. 
PESTALOZZI,  JOHN  HENRY,  75, 

111  307- 
PIPER,  JONATHAN,  145. 
PLATO,  185. 
PORTER,  NOAH,  286. 
PRICE  (a  pupil  of  Arnold's),  55. 
PROCTER,     ADELAIDE     ANNE, 

145. 
PROVERBS,  57,  163. 

QUICK,  R.  H.,  54,  93,  122,  183,  242,  287. 

REID,  THOMAS,  161. 

RICHMOND,  ENNIS,  182. 

ROARK,  RURIC  N.,  22,  94,  95,  120, 
205,  240,  242,  243,  286. 

ROGERS,  NATHANIEL  PEA- 
BODY,  221. 


ROOPER,  T.  G.,  95. 
ROSENKRANZ,  KARL,  23,  245. 
ROUNDS,  CHARLES  C,  330. 
ROUSSEAU,  289,  306. 

SCHAEFFER,  NATHAN  C,  25,  122, 

241,  289,  306. 
SEARCH,  PRESTON  W.,  256,  257. 
SEERLEY,  HOMER  H.,  57,  121. 
SHEPARD,  HIRAM  H.,  162. 
SMITH,  A.  T.,  161,  271,  286. 
SOCRATES,  9. 
STETSON,  W.  W.,  204. 
STEVENSON,     ROBERT    LOUIS, 

144. 
SULLY,  JAMES,  23,  73,  143. 
SWETT,  JOHN,  93,  120,  205,  206,  222, 

272. 
SWING,  DAVID,  54. 

TABOR,  FRANCIS  H.,  205. 
TAYLOR,  A.  R.,  77,  94,  95,  143,  205. 

259,  271. 
THOREAU,  HENRY  D.,  57. 
THRING,  EDWARD,  37,  39,  57,  161. 

165,  241,  274. 

VINCENT,  JOHN  A.,  9. 

WARNER,  A.  B.,75. 
WARNER,  FRANCIS,  120,  204. 
WHITE,  EMERSON  E.,  23,  55,  74,  77 

94,  141,  242,  243,  272, 
V/HITTIER,  J.  G.,  219. 
WICKERSHAM,  J.  P.,  143,  184,  24-. 
WILSON,  JAMES,  220,  221. 
WINSHIP,  ALBERT  E.,  330. 
WORDSWORTH,  WILLIAM,  55. 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS 


ACTION,  every,  has  a  moral  side,  135. 

Adaptability  to  Circumstances,  49. 

Air,  keep  in  open,  30. 

American  Citizen,  typical,  129  ;  vital 
qualifications  of,  129. 

Apparatus,  making  simple,  254. 

Apperception  Defined,  89. 

Architect,  must  know,  57. 

Arithmetic,  108 ;  J.  P.  Wickersham 
on  teaching,  108  ;  other  points,  108  ; 
rules  for  primary  teachers,  110. 

Arrangement,  175. 

Attention,  art  of  paying,  280;  illus- 
trations, 281 ;  how  to  hold  ;  Hart's 
^  "In  the  School  Room,"  on,  281; 
two  kinds  of,  282 ;  Baldwin,  on, 
282  ;  how  to  cultivate,  283  ;  indiffer- 
ence a  hindrance  to,  284, 

BEING,  problem  of  complete  physi- 
cal, 53. 

Bible,  reading  of,  328. 

Blackboards,  general  directions  con- 
cerning, 192. 

Books,  use  and  abuse  of,  310;  with- 
out, God  is  silent,  311;  influence 
of,  311;  choice  of,  316;  fiction  in, 
317;  dime  novel,  318;  for  children, 
320 ;  for  rural  school  libraries,  322, 
324 ;  teacher  should  own,  327. 

Boy,  the  bai  efoot,  84 ;  the  truant,  133. 

Brooks,  Phillips,  Bishop,  132. 

CHARACTER     Commended,  44; 

building  of,  44  ;  growth  of,  44 ;  part 
of  man's  individuality,  45;  not 
reputation,  45 ;  a  growth,  not  a 
creation,  137. 

Child,  the  future  of  the,  18  ;  heart  of, 
responds,  36;  nervous,  59;  worth 
of,  78;  physical  condition,  82; 
knowing  the,  83 ;  loves  the  beauti- 
ful, 211. 

Children,  duties  and  rights  of,  68; 
studying  the,  79  ;  are  living  senti- 
ent, flesh  and  blood,  80 ;  what  of 
the,  81 ;  should  be  trained  to  quiet 
ways,   82 ;    differ    in    perceptive 


Children  —  Continued. 

faculties,  87;  how  they  differ,  140; 
don't  worry  them.  201 ;  must  be 
treated  as  children,  298. 

Childhood,  study  of,  85. 

Child  Nature,  teacher  should  be 
versed  in,  62. 

Civics,  elementary,  107. 

Civility,  152. 

Class,  the,  227. 

Committee  of  Twelve,  extracts  from 
report,  215,  228. 

Concept  Defined,  89. 

Conscience,  connected  with  char- 
acter, 134 ;  absence  or  death  of, 
134;  how  nurtured,  135;  a  tender, 
135 ;  and  will,  135  ;  child  who  lacks, 
136;  conditions  favorable  to 
growth,  136, 

Contract,  binding,  31;  investigate 
before  signing,  50. 

Cramming,  255,  270. 

DAILY  Preparation,  72. 
Decorations,  214. 
Deduction  Defined,  90. 
Development,     slow     process,     20; 

mental,  not  to  be  arrested,  88. 
Discipline,  use  of,  16;  through  close 

application,  42  ;  under  two  heads, 

75- 
Discrimination,  wise,  70. 
Diseases,  contagious,  197;  beginning 

of,  198. 
Disobedience,   not  to  be  tolerated, 

151- 
Drawing,  216. 
Duties,  may  be  exacted,  69. 

EDUCATION,      province     of,      17; 

moves   along    parallel   lines,    18; 

purpose  of,  47 ;  end  kept  in  view, 

58;   habits   included    under,    x6o; 

new  compared  with  old,  295,  303 ; 

differs  from  old,  296  ;  modifications 

of  old,  297. 
English  Language,  102 ;  suggestions 

how  to  teach,  102. 
Enjoyment,  keenest,  85. 


340 


Index  of  Stibjects 


3^1 


Environments,    study    of,    66 ; 

changed,  304. 
Example,  force  of,  138. 
Exercise,  52  ;  in  open  air,  196. 
Experience,  85. 
Eyes,  care  of,  191,  194. 

FARMER,  modern,  58. 

Fiction,  teachers  should  read,  327. 

Flag,  to  be  saluted,  156. 

Foundations,  291. 

Freedom,  11. 

Friction,  how  to  avoid,  65. 

GEOGRAPHY,  no;  for  older  pupils, 
III ;  Harris  on  teaching,  m. 

God,  existence  of  may  be  taught,  127. 

Government,  165  ;  ends  of,  167  ;  funda- 
mental principles  of,  173 ;  defined, 
176 ;  points  to  be  considered,  178 ; 
wrong  methods,  180. 

Grammar,  103. 

Greatness,  measure  of,  290. 

Growth,  34;  moral  and  intellectual, 
148. 

HABITS,  20,  82,  145  ;  pernicious,  52  ; 
change  of,  146 ;  defined,  146  ;  result 
of  imconscious  thought,  147;  per 
sonal,  148 ;  of  seeing  things,  153 ; 
tobacco,  159. 

Health,  51,  82, 186 ;  laws  of,  118  ;  foun- 
dation of  human  happiness,  185 ; 
too  little  attention  paid  to  in 
school,  186. 

History,  105 ;  clothing  skeleton  in 
words,  105 ;  three  points  in  teach- 
ing, 106. 

Home  Study,  202. 

IDEALS,  importance  of,  13. 

Idleness,  168. 

Ignorance,  danger  of,  43. 

Imagination  Defined,  274;  two  kinds 
of,  275  ;  reproductive,  275  ;  differs 
from  memory,  how,  275 ;  con- 
structive, 276 ;  value  of  to  child, 
277 ;  direction,  cultivation,  277 ; 
pure,  278  ;  helps  the  child  to  think, 
278 ;  fantasies  of  child's,  279 ;  vision 
faculty,  279;  quotation  from  Hil- 
lis  on,  279 ;  quotation  from  "School 
and  Schoolmaster  "  on,  289. 


Immaturity  Not  a  Crime,  20. 

Individuality,  two  sides,  146. 

Induction  Defined,  90  ;  employed  in 
some  recitations  with  deduction, 
91. 

Instruction  and  Education,  17 ;  prov- 
ince of,  17  ;  habits  included  under, 
160 ;  individual  and  class,  228 ; 
growth  of  oral,  246. 

Integrity,  31. 

Interest,  284. 

Intuitions,  67. 

JANITORS,  choice  of,  198  ;  duties  of, 

199. 
Justice,  170;  based  upon  reason,  171; 

children  have  keen  sense  of,  172. 

KNOWLEDGE,  41 ;  not  discipline, 
15  ;  not  power,  16 ;  application  of, 
41;  practical  value  of,  43;  art  of 
imparting,  60 ;  steps  in  imparting, 
61 ;  general,  70  ;  sources  of,  71 ; 
desire  for,  113;  of  right  and 
wrong,  119. 

LESSONS,  prepared  beforehand,  34 ; 
method  of  preparation,  34;  assign- 
ment of,  225;  when  reassigned,  226. 

Library,  school,  312 ;  in  the  home, 
314;  half  hour  in,  316;  selecting 
books  for,  319 ;  should  contain 
what,  321;  of  general  use,  324. 

Life  in  a  Republic,  possibilities  of, 
108. 

Life,  the  educator,  17. 

Loyalty,  63. 

MANAGEMENT,  characteristics  of , 
176. 

Material,  dealing  with,  77. 

Memorizing,  steps  in,  261. 

Memory,  right  use,  259;  defined,  260; 
special  training,  effect  of,  261 ; 
cultivation  of,  262,  264;  must  be 
adapted  to  wants  of  child,  263 ; 
verbal,  263  ;  cultivation  of,  not  to 
be  left  to  chance,  264  ;  points  to  be 
observed,  264,  265 ;  to  express 
thoughts  of  other,  265  ;  voluntary, 
266;  involuntary,  267;  involves 
study,  268 ;  and  attention,  285. 


3^ 


Common   Sefise   Didactics 


Methods,  300. 

Morality,  cultivation  of,  124. 

Moral  Instruction,  128;  how  far  car- 
ried, 127. 

Moral  Training,  province  of  in 
school,  125. 

Motives,  moral  instruction,  130; 
lassified,  131,  132. 

NATION,  this  a  Christian,  128. 

Nature  of  Child,  58. 

Nature  Study,  154. 

Neatness,  149. 

Noise  Not  Music,  218. 

OBEDIENCE,  151. 

Observation,  86. 

Oral  Instruction,  growth  of,  246; 
essentials  of,  246  ;  nature  of,  247  ; 
interest,  factor  in,  247 ;  prepara- 
tion for,  249 ;  technical  terms  to 
be  avoided,  249;  province  of,  250; 
three-fold  province  of,  251 ;  free- 
dom is  essential,  251 ;  when 
adapted  for  use,  252;  not  to  be 
separated  from  text-book  en- 
tirely, 253. 

Order,  149. 

Outbuildings,  janitor  should  care 
for,  199. 

P  AT  I E  N  C  E ,  see  Sympathy. 

Patriotism,  155. 

Penmanship,  105. 

Percept  Defined,  89. 

Perception  Defined,  89. 

Personality,  31. 

Physical  Culture,  194. 

Plan  and  System,  57. 

Praise,  undue,  works  evil,  171 ;  how 
bestowed,  181. 

Prevention,  174. 

Principles,  society  based  upon  cer- 
tain, 126. 

Program,  making  the,  175. 

Public,  relation  of  teacher  to,  64. 

Punctuality,  149. 

Punishments,  Ennis  Richmond  on, 
174.     See  also  Rtivards. 

Pupils,  teacher  should  be  interested 
in,   3a;  to   gain   knowledge,   43; 


Pupils  —  Continued. 

heart  contact  with,  47  ;  individual 
cups  for,  197  ;  trained  to  leave  the 
room  without  asking,  200, 


QUESTIONING,  art  of,  238  ;  three 
kinds  of,  239  ;  directions,  239. 

READING,  at  head  of  list,  98;  how 
to  teach,  99,  100;  on  intellectual 
side,  100;  for  pupils,  100. 

Recess,  not  to  be  abolished,  196, 

Recitation,  three  factors  of,  224;  the 
class  in,  227  ;  what  it  is,  227  ;  pupils 
to  question  each  other  during, 
227  ;  should  do  four  things  for  the 
pupil,  228;  teacher  in,  229;  meth- 
ods in,  230;  things  essential  to, 
230;  teacher  a  good  listener,  231; 
purpose  of,  233 ;  preparation  for, 
233 ;  point  of  failure,  233 ;  unity 
of,  234 ;  object  of,  236 ;  mechanics 
of,  237 ;  written,  240 ;  memoriter 
not  of  necessity  an  evil,  267. 

Recollection  Defined,  266;  kinds  of, 
266. 

Regularity,  149. 

Religion  in  Schools,  127. 

Reputation,  should  be  guarded,  45. 
See  also  Character. 

Responsibility,  basis  of  moral  ac- 
tions, 125  ;  doctrine  of,  127, 

Results,  how  to  obtain  best,  78. 

Rewards,  179. 

Right  Actions  Spring  from  Right- 
mindedness,  138. 

Rules,  not  many,  169. 

Rumors,  idle,  not  be  noticed,  65. 

Ruts,  falling  into,  35. 


SCHOLARSHIP  of  Teacher,  33. 

School,  aim  of,  44;  individuality  of, 
49;  duties  are  enervating,  5a 
have  changed,  59;  country,  aims 
of,  20S;  subjects  taught  in,  209; 
location  of,  210;  grounds  about, 
210;  rallying  place,  an;  grounds 
to  be  improved,  313,  214;  city 
grounds,  213;  grounds  should  be 
attractive,  314. 


Index  of  Subjects 


343 


Schoolmaster,  English,  story  of,  69. 

Schoolroom,  ventilation  of,  187,  190; 
heating  of,  191 ;  lighting  of,  191 ; 
improper  seats,  194,  195 ;  decora- 
tion of,  214,  215. 

School-teaching  Like  Other  Voca- 
tions, 80. 

Self-knowledge,  66. 

Sensations  Defined,  88. 

Sense,  common,  value  of,  50. 

Senses,  five  windows  of  the  soul,  85  ; 
exercises  to  train,  86;  develop- 
ment, order  of,  87. 

Sermon  on  the  Mount,  126. 

Sewing,  hand,  115. 

Sincerity,  prime  element  in  charac- 
ter, 26. 

Singing,  217. 

Skill,  how  acquired,  21. 

Spelling,  104;  oral  not  to  be  dis- 
carded, 104. 

Spirit  of  Inquiry,  236. 

Standard,  ideal  not  always  attain- 
able, 50. 

Studies,  relative  value  of,  97. 

Study,  importance  of,  18 ;  defined, 
19 ;  how  to,  19 ;  intelligent,  229 ; 
art  of,  to  be  taught,  231. 

Success,  avenues  of,  68. 

Suggestion,  doctrine  of,  177. 

Superintendent,  county,  teachers 
should  be  loyal  to,  64. 

Sympathy,  35  ;  with  pupils,  46. 

System,  see  Fla7t. 


Teacher—  Continued. 

knowledge  of  the  world,  67  ;  should 
be  wise  adviser,  68  ;  not  expected 
to  know  everything,  71  ;  ideal,  8i ; 
senses  of,  to  be  trained,  86 ;  sug- 
gestions for  rural,  115  ;  responsible 
for  health,  186 ;  in  recitation,  229 ; 
a  leader,  230 ;  language  of,  249 ; 
reading  of,  325  ;  should  read  fic- 
tion, 327 ;  should  own  books,  327. 

Teaching  vs.  Learning,  10;  mechan- 
ical, II ;  nature  of,  13  ;  culmination 
of,  13,  results  lasting,  40;  free- 
dom in,  303. 

Temperance,  habits  of,  156;  instruc- 
tion, spirit  of,  159. 

Terms,  distinction  of,  10;  psycho- 
logical, 88. 

Text-books,  how  to  use,  72,  302  ;  fine 
print  not  to  be  studied,  193  ;  not  to 
be  discarded,  303. 

Thoroughness,  235. 

Thought,  39  ;  power  of  unconscious, 
147. 

Tobacco  Habit,  159. 

Training,  necessary,  19  ;  defined,  20; 
eye  and  hand,  114;  manual,  114; 
habits,  included  under,  160. 

VENTILATION,  necessity  of,  187; 
methods  of,  188  ;  problem  intensi- 
fied, 189;  illustration,  190;  W.  W. 
Stetson  on,  190. 

Virtues,  special,  126. 


TEACHER,  growth  of,  14;  personal 
appearance  of,  25, 26  ;  same  at  all 
times,  26 ;  should  exercise  discre- 
tion, 27  ;  should  refrain  from  some 
things,  27 ;  should  have  gift  of 
silence,  27 ;  should  not  talk,  29 ; 
self-respect  of,  30 ;  bound  by  con- 
tract, 31 ;  should  pay  debts,  32 ; 
must  be  a  scholar,  33 ;  reader  of 
good  books,  33  ;  not  to  undervalue 
knowledge,  40;  to  make  allow- 
ances, 48 ;  of  to-day,  59 ;  who  de- 
sires to  be  respected,  60;  should 
manifest  an  interest  in  having 
child  understand,  61 ;  cannot  cre- 
ate   intellect,    63 ;    should    have 


WELL,    schoolhouse,  to  be   cared 

for,  196. 
What  May  be  Taught,  128. 
Will,     in    moral    instruction,     133; 

strong  but  depraved,  134. 
Wisconsin  Normal  Teachers'  Insti- 
tute^ extract  from,  237. 
Work,  distinguished  from  play,  19; 

best  done  by   best  thinkers,  39; 

not  to  be  done  at  home,  52 ;  most 

important,  79. 
W^orld  in  its  Infancy,  92. 
World's  W^ork  Done  by  Sober  Men, 

158. 
W^orry,  29,  201, 
Wraps,  care  of,  201. 


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